ALVIN, Texas – A man was killed Sunday in an officer-involved shooting outside a church in Alvin, officials said.
The shooting was reported at 4 p.m. in a field near the Alvin Missionary Baptist Church on West Lang Street.
Alvin police responded to a disturbance call about a suicidal man that had fired a gun inside a home and fled the scene on a motorcycle with the firearm. Police said within minutes, officers found the armed suspect's parked motorcycle at the church and the suspect had fled into a wooded area.
Police said officers confronted the man and demanded he drop his weapon, but the man screamed at officers to shoot him as he waved the gun around. Police said the suspect finally placed the gun on the ground, but grabbed the gun and brought it back up as officers moved in on him.
Police said an officer shot and struck the suspect.
"We heard some loud noise, some yelling and about four gunshots," pastor Justin Gatlin said.
The man was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Brazoria County Sheriff's Office is joining Alvin police in the investigation.
No officers were injured in the shooting
Gatlin of the Alvin Missionary Baptist Church released the following statement:
"I regret to inform you that there has been an officer-involved shooting this afternoon in the rear church parking lot. The suspect is not associated with AMBC, and we ask that everyone pray for the first responders and the family of the suspect.
"We praise God that we were not in services and that all of the people who would have been present an hour later were not. Jesus says in Luke 12:7 that the very hairs on our head are numbered, and we are grateful that the One who died for us was watching over us today.
"If you have any questions, please feel free to call or text me."
A neighbor said he knew the man who was killed and will remember him as a hard worker and family man.
"He was a good boy. A good young man," he said.
