Suspected car thief dies after being shot by HPD officer at Family Dollar in SE Houston

HOUSTON – A man has been pronounced dead after he was shot by a police officer who was reportedly attempting to investigate a stolen car in southeast Houston on Tuesday.

According to police, the shooting took place at a Family Dollar store around 2:30 p.m. in the 12200 block of Martin Luther King Street near E Orem.

HPD’s Executive Assistant Ban Tien said the situation started as an auto theft investigation after an officer ran the plates on a Honda Civic that was in the parking lot.

The officer reportedly parked his patrol unit behind the car in question and attempted to approach the driver’s side.

Tien said the officer noticed a man inside the vehicle and began making commands for him to exit.

The suspect then reportedly backed the stolen vehicle into the patrol unit before deciding to exit.

A struggle then ensued and the officer attempted to gain control of the situation, however, the suspect was able to seemingly overpower him, even knocking off his Taser.

That’s when investigators say the officer retrieved his firearm, and let one shot off. He reportedly struck the man with gunfire one time.

The vehicle in question was in fact stolen and was believed to have been part of a robbery in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The suspect was transported to the Texas Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.

He has yet to be identified, pending the notification of the next of kin.

Tien says although no weapons were recovered from the car, the suspect was believed to have two open felony warrants.

As protocol, the officer was placed on administrative leave. He was said to have been part of HPD for the past seven years and was assigned to the Gang Division.