Off-Duty Harris County Deputy Fires Weapon at Burglary Suspect in Houston, Suspect at Large

Houston police are investigating an incident in which an off-duty Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy discharged his weapon at a burglary suspect at 11212 Westpark Drive around 4:55 a.m. on Monday, September 2.

The male suspect, who is believed not to have been struck by the gunfire, remains at large. The deputy involved was not injured.

According to detectives M. Estep and V. Lewis of the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the off-duty deputy was alerted by an alarm on his vehicle, which was parked in an apartment complex parking lot at the Westpark Drive location. The deputy, who was dressed in clothing clearly identifying him as a member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, approached his vehicle to investigate and saw an unknown male suspect carrying a tire and a wheel.

The deputy made contact with the suspect, and during an attempt to detain him, an altercation occurred. The deputy discharged his weapon at least once, but the suspect fled the scene in a white, late-model, small to midsize Mercedes Benz SUV. The suspect is described as a black male in his 20s with shoulder-length dreadlocks.

Anyone with information on the suspect or the case is encouraged to contact the HPD Special Investigations Unit at 713-308-3600 or speak anonymously with Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

As per procedure, since a law enforcement officer discharged a weapon within Houston city limits, the case is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit.