By George Slaughter
Houston police are investigating the death of a man after a car chase where a Harris County sheriff’s deputy fired his weapon at about 1:30 p.m. Thursday on the Katy Freeway east of Mason Road.
The man’s identity is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
The episode began when Harris County sheriff’s deputies tried to stop a driver for a traffic violation in Harris County. The situation became a car chase. Deputies pursued the vehicle, but it stopped abruptly on the left shoulder of the Katy Freeway at 21800 Katy Freeway, which is just east of Mason Road.
As the deputy tried to conduct a traffic stop, he saw the driver raise a gun at him. The deputy fired one round at the driver. After the deputy got out of his vehicle, he heard a gunshot inside the suspect’s vehicle. Two passengers in the suspect’s vehicle quickly exited and deputies placed them into custody.
Deputies saw the driver was still in the vehicle. As they approached, they saw a gun in the driver’s hand. The driver sustained an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Deputies used a metal rod to slide the gun out of the driver’s hand and onto the floorboard.
Deputies removed the driver and called for paramedics. The suspect was then transported via Life Flight helicopter to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The episode caused significant traffic delays Thursday afternoon along the Katy Freeway.
A preliminary investigation indicated the driver of the vehicle committed suicide after the stop. The deputy’s shot did not strike the driver.
Houston police are investigating the episode as it occurred within the Houston city limits. The police department’s special investigations unit and the Harris County district attorney’s office are investigating the situation, as is customary when an officer fires his weapon.