HPD Stands By Officer In Naked Man Shooting - Houston News Story - KPRC Houston

October 19, 2007 HOUSTON -- Houston's police chief said Friday that an officer was justified in shooting a naked man during a traffic stop in northwest Houston. Chief Harold Hurtt responded amid outrage from the man's family about the use of deadly force, KPRC Local 2 reported.

The shooting happened shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday in the 6000 block of T.C. Jester at De Soto.

Investigators said Officer Brian Bueno had just finished writing a ticket to a motorist when Raymond Smith Jr., 29, stopped his pickup truck in the middle of the street and began threatening Bueno.

In the ensuing face-off, Bueno repeatedly used a Taser to shock Smith with no effect, officials said.

Investigators said Bueno then used his pistol to shoot Smith twice as he charged him. By that time, Smith had stripped off all his clothes.

Smith's family was outraged.

"What they shoot him for? That’s what we want to know," a family member said. "You buck-naked with no weapon -- what you going to shoot for."

Smith was unarmed. But the mayor and police chief defended the shooting as justified under HPD policy.

"The officer was in fear of his life at the time he fired his weapon. Look at size of the individual. I think about a 270-pound individual acting very irrational," Hurtt said.

"Officers have to make snap judgments. Officers are in risky situations and officers can get hurt. They should not have to endure risk and physical danger to themselves to do their jobs," Houston Mayor Bill White said.

HPD policy says an officer can use deadly force if it is necessary to "protect themselves or others from imminent threat of serious bodily injury or death."

Police insist that Bueno found himself in that situation.

"He was in fear this guy was really going to hurt him. And I don't think a reasonable person believes that a Houston police officer needs to get hurt by some violent offender in order to use deadly force," said Mark Clark with the Houston Police Officers Union.

Smith had a history of drug arrests that led to prison time. A test to determine if there were drugs or alcohol in his system on Thursday will be included in the autopsy report. It could take weeks for that to be completed.

Police said Bueno was involved in another shooting incident exactly one month ago. According to Chief Hurtt, Bueno was one of several officers chasing a stolen car. One of the suspects in that car fired at the officers nine times. Bueno did not return fire.