HOUSTON – A grand jury will get back to work Tuesday to decide if a Houston police officer should be indicted for shooting and killing an unarmed man.
In the wake of national protests over the shooting of unarmed black men by police, a controversial officer shooting in Houston is going to a grand jury.
According to the Houston Police Department, the shooting happened just after 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 in the 5700 block of West Little York Road.
The man who was shot, Jordan Baker, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say HPD Officer Juventino Castro was in uniform and working at extra job at the strip center where the shooting occurred. The businesses in the center recently had been repeatedly robbed and had hired off-duty officers to provide extra security.
Castro attempted to stop Baker in the parking lot, investigators said. A brief struggle and foot chase ensued.
Investigators said that at some point, Baker stopped fleeing and, while reaching into his waistband, charged at the officer.
That is when Castro discharged his duty weapon one time, striking Baker.
The grand jury hearing comes at a time where there has been national outcry over the deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner in officer-involved incidents.
Baker's mother, Janet Baker, maintains that her son was innocent and was a victim of a wrongful death.
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