HOUSTON- A Houston police officer was put on administrative duty after an off-duty confrontation in a southeast Houston restaurant led to a shooting early Thursday. According to a witness, the officer and the men he was with instigated the entire incident.
"What happened should have never happened," said the man, who asked not to be identified.
The shooting happened at a Denny’s, located off the Gulf Freeway at Airport, just after 3 a.m.
Police said HPD Officer Julio Lopez, who was not in uniform, was inside the restaurant with his family and friends. One of his family members—his brother—is a Marine who recently returned from Afghanistan.
At some point, 32-year-old Clemente Vela arrived with his co-worker and cousin—another Marine recently home from Afghanistan. Police said Vela’s group had just left from a night of partying at a strip club.
Police said the two groups got into some sort of altercation while at the restaurant.
"They proceeded to exchange words with them," said HPD officer Victor Senties. "There were some gestures made and some comments that were made."
At that point, Officer Lopez reportedly walked out to his truck and called for back-up. He also grabbed his work-issued weapon.
According to HPD, when he turned around, the fight had spilled outside, and Vela pulled out a knife.
Lopez fired two shots into the air and identified himself as an officer.
"The suspect ignored that and got even more aggressive and went towards the officer with the knife in his hand as if he was about to stab him," said Senties.
That’s when investigators say Lopez shot Vela multiple times.
Vela was taken to Ben Taub Hospital. His condition was not known, but police said he was conscious when he was transported.
Vela’s cousin was questioned and released at the scene, and the co-worker was taken into custody on an unrelated warrant.
The witness said Lopez and his group were drunk and hurled racial slurs about blacks and Latinos in the Denny’s dining room. He admitted not seeing the exchange of gunfire, but remained convinced that what happened could have been avoided.
"Wrong is wrong, and this was wrong," he said.
Lopez, a five-year veteran, has been put on administrative desk duty for three days while police investigate. This is a routine procedure in officer-involved shootings.
