HOUSTON – Houston police were at the scene of an officer involved shooting at an apartment complex on the city’s southwest side.
The shooting happened in the 10200 block of Forum Park Drive.
HPD commanders, investigators & PIO are en route to an officer involved shooting at an apartment complex at 10202 Forum Park. The officer sustained a minor wound when the suspect fired a weapon. The suspect, who is uninjured, is in custody.
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) May 11, 2023
More info at the scene.#hounews pic.twitter.com/GwVT6iODB4
According to Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite, officers received a call at 12:44 p.m. of a suspicious person with a weapon at the address. Officers arrived at the location within five minutes, but no one met them outside.
As officers looked around and asked for a callback, dispatch informed them of another call which had come in stating someone had been firing a gun in the area.
Officers began to approach an unit inside the apartment complex to determine whether the person inside was the caller. As an officer was approaching the unit, which was in a narrow spot in the complex, a large dog from outside approached the officer and began barking as the officer was about to knock on the door.
Right after the barking started, Satterwhite said the door of the apartment unit opened and a suspect appeared in the doorway armed with a handgun. Satterwhite said the suspect fired once at the officer. The officer returned fire, firing several times as he moved to a position of cover.
Officers began to give voice commands to the suspect. The suspect came out of the apartment within a minute, dropping the gun and surrendering.
Satterwhite said one of the officers sustained a minor wound to his forearm from shrapnel. Other officers were able to remove the shrapnel and the officer stayed on the scene and appeared to be okay.
The suspect appeared to be a man in his thirties or forties. Satterwhite said the man appears to have had three separate encounters with police, including one of which was a mental health related call. He was uninjured and in custody.
“We’re just thankful because our officer was just trying to figure out what was going on and the door opened and it appeared the suspect just started firing,” Satterwhite said.
On Friday, police identified the suspect as Edwin Lopez, 41. He is charged with aggravated assault against a public servant.