Suspect critically injured after SWAT standoff ends in shooting in SE Houston, police say

HOUSTON – A SWAT standoff involving a violent fugitive has ended in southeast Houston Monday, police said.

It happened in a gas station parking lot located in the 7400 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard at Van Fleet around 10 a.m.

According to Houston Police Department Executive Chief M. Slinkard, SWAT officers were trying to apprehend a violent fugitive that had six potential felony outstanding warrants -- five for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one for family violence.

The suspect is identified as Dexter Ceaser, 20.

When officers had Ceaser under surveillance, he was in a red vehicle as a passenger. Slinkard said the driver of the vehicle pulled into the gas station parking lot and got out. When the suspect was alone in the vehicle, officers tried to take him into custody.

As officers pulled behind the vehicle, police said the suspect moved into the driver’s seat and tried to pull out of the parking lot by reversing, striking a patrol vehicle in the process, and then moved forward. Slinkard said police approached the vehicle and one officer shot at the suspect in the vehicle, striking him.

Investigators said the suspect remained in the vehicle.

Slinkard said they knew the suspect was armed so officers backed off and then deployed gas into the vehicle to get the suspect to come out. Police said after deploying the gas, they heard another gunshot. Officers approached the vehicle, removed the suspect and began medical treatment.

Ceaser was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he is in critical condition.

Slinkard said the officer that shot the suspect is an 11-year veteran. The officer is on administrative duties as HPD continues its investigation.

“The chief has said many times, with support of other city leaders, we are doing everything we can to get violent offenders into custody and combat the violent crime and some of that rise that we’ve seen, especially in shootings or in homicides, like the rest of the nation has over the last couple of years, and we’ve been very vocal about that …” Slinkard said.

Authorities said they’ll be in the area for hours so Martin Luther King Boulevard traffic may be impacted for the duration.