HOUSTON — A man was shot to death Thursday by an HPD officer after a tense situation in Houston's south side.
Around 6:25 p.m., the Houston Police Department received a call about a suspicious person brandishing a firearm near the intersection of Scott and Mt Pleasant streets. About 5 minutes, later, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said the first responding officer arrived at the scene and found a man with a gun stashed inside his hoodie pocket.
Houston police said they later learned the gun was a BB gun replica of a 9 mm Beretta.
Acevedo said the man was sitting on a bench near two other men. When the responding officer approached the suspect and the other men, he had his Taser drawn and issued orders, to which the two other men complied. The suspect did not, according to Acevedo.
The suspect instead approached the officer, who Acevedo said exchanged his Taser for his service pistol. The suspect continued walking toward the officer, who circled his vehicle in order to stay away, Acevedo said. When the suspect reached for his gun, Acevedo said the officer opened fire, striking the suspect at least once.
The suspect was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Acevedo said the suspect's sister told authorities that her brother was drunk and when he left the house they were at, said he was "going home."
Acevedo said reports that the suspect had his hands up when he was shot were wrong. He said he watched the incident, which was recorded on the officer's bodycam, and the reports that the suspect had his hands up were a "patent lie."
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