LEAGUE CITY, Texas – The League City Police Department said an armed man was killed after being shot by an officer in a Walmart parking lot Saturday.
The department said the shooting happened in the Walmart parking lot located at 1701 W. FM 646.
Police said the suspect stole a vehicle from a person in Houston early Saturday morning. The victim who had their vehicle stolen believed the suspect to be armed.
At approximately 3:14 p.m. Saturday, League City Police were alerted that the stolen Toyota Corolla was spotted near S. Gulf Freeway and Town Center Drive. Officers responded to the area and began searching for the vehicle.
At approximately 3:32 p.m., officers found the Toyota Corolla unoccupied in the parking lot of the Walmart. They remained and monitored the area in case the suspect returned to the vehicle.
At 4:04 p.m., officers spotted the suspect walking back to the vehicle and attempted to detain him.
As two officers approached the suspect, police said he pulled out a gun and pointed it at them.
“I was putting some things away in the trunk and then i heard the cop telling the guy he was chasing , ‘Hey! stop. stop!” and he told him, don’t reach,” said Mario Coronado, who witnessed the shooting. “And then i turn around and he had a weapon in his hand.”
One officer fired multiple shots at the suspect. Officers provided aid to the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 4:13 p.m.
No officers or bystanders were injured in the shooting.
“The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene to complete a thorough investigation into the officer involved shooting. The League City Officers involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the results of the GCSO’s investigation,” the League City Police Department said.
The identity of the suspect has not been released.
“It’s a shame, because its supposed to be a magical time of the year and for something like this to happen nowadays, its sad,” Coronado said.