Deputies shoot, kill man who opened fire on them in NW Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY – Deputies in northwest Harris County say they were forced to shoot and kill a 45-year-old man who fired at them first.

It happened around 11 a.m. on Flemington Avenue and Langham. Officials say deputies were originally called to the scene for an abandoned vehicle that had been left in the middle of the road with its doors open, when a gun battle broke out.

People KPRC 2′s Deven Clarke spoke to said the community is usually quiet, but all that changed Friday morning.

What Harris County Sheriff’s Office officials say started as a simple call to check on an abandoned car left in the middle of the road quickly escalated to violence at a nearby home when a deputy arrived.

“He heard some shots that were fired inside the residence, he immediately made announcement of that and notified the dispatcher, additional units arrived on the scene,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Gonzalez said this is when the situation intensified.

“Within a few minutes, they begin hearing additional shots coming from inside the house but this time they were shooting out through a window towards our deputies,” Gonzalez said.

Deputies set up a perimeter and called the Crises Negotiation Team in preparation for a suspect barricade situation.

“What woke me up was the helicopter, you know what I’m saying, after I heard the helicopter, fiancé got on her phone and pulled up the Next Door app and it said everybody watch out in the neighborhood,” a neighbor said.

“I opened my shades up and I could see the sheriff’s deputy cars lined up blockading the road,” said Braddie Breaux.

Eventually, officials said the 45-year-old shooter came out with two rifles, forcing deputies to shoot. The man died at the scene. No deputies were hurt.

“I want to say that we’ve had previous calls for services here at this location, most have been related to either domestic disturbance type calls as well as mental health related type calls,” Gonzalez said.

Officials determined that the car that was left in the road was registered to the home where this all happened. While its unclear what led up to the latest incident, they say the suspect was a veteran.

“It’s an unfortunate situation, everybody’s got their own opinions, I’ve got my own. I think the government needs to step up and do a little bit more for our veterans,” Breaux said.

Officials said at one point, deputies tried to enter the home and saw some wires that concerned them about the possibility of booby traps. They have since completed another search and found no harmful devices.

The investigation continues.