HOUSTON – A man accused of shooting a Houston police officer during a traffic stop in southeast Houston on May 4 is now facing federal penalties, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The suspect, Jimmy Caston Bryan, 23, was charged with the use or carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute meth. He was also charged with two counts of aggravated assault of a public servant.
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Texas Department of Public Safety records show Bryan has a lengthy criminal history, with offenses dating back to 2016.
Bryan previously trafficked narcotics in the Houston area, had meth and was possibly in the possession of multiple firearms, according to charges. This led to a traffic stop on May 4.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said when Bryan pulled over at an Exxon gas station in the 14800 block of Gulf Freeway around 11:20 a.m., he and the two officers started exchanging words.
Bryan, according to the officers, then exited his vehicle and immediately started firing, striking one of the officers in the pelvic area. The second officer was not injured.
The officers returned fire, hitting Bryan multiple times.
The injured officer, identified as HPD Officer J. Sallee, was taken to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital by a police vehicle where he was in stable condition. Finner said he is expected to be OK.
“Thank God for his ballistic vest and flashlight, which may have saved his life,” Finner said.
Bryan was also taken to the hospital by ambulance in critical condition.
A search of Bryan’s vehicle allegedly revealed over 120 grams of meth and a digital scale as well as two handguns.
If convicted, he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and up to life for the drug charges as well as a minimum of 10 years for using the firearm which must be served consecutively to the other prison term imposed.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day is prosecuting the case.