A man was shot and killed by a Houston Police Department officer after he allegedly threatened police with a bat and later, a chunk of concrete, in the Spring Branch neighborhood of northwest Houston this past Friday. The incident, which took place near Hammerly Boulevard and Wirt Road, occurred after a security officer reported being threatened by the same man earlier that day, according to KHOU.
The security officer first encountered the man at 8:30 a.m. near the intersection of Long Point and Wirt when the man reportedly threatened him with a bat. The guard attempted to use a Taser, but it was ineffective, likely due to the man’s heavy jacket, Assistant Chief Yasar Bashir said in a statement obtained by KHOU. Houston Police Department were called to the scene, however, the man could not be located. Later, after the security officer spotted the man again, two officers responded to find him armed with the bat and acting aggressively. Despite attempts to defuse the situation, including the use of Tasers, the man picked up a concrete slab and threatened officers. It was then one of the officers discharged his weapon multiple times, leading to the man’s death.
Witness Oscar Rios, who recorded the event, expressed his apprehension about the unfolding situation, “Something inside me was telling me something bad was going to happen,” he told ABC13. His footage showed the suspect, carrying three bags and a bat, being followed by Houston Police Department officers across the street before the shots were fired. Rios hoped the encounter would end differently, but ultimately, the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene…