2011 - Officer-involved Shootings
In 2011, there were 40 officer-involved shootings, resulting in 16 civilians killed and 29 wounded. Statistics for each agency are as follows:
Law Enforcement Agency
Houston PD
Harris County Sheriff's Office
Humble PD
Metro PD
Pasadena PD
South Houston PD
Webster PD
40. 12/29/11 - Joshua Williams, b/m, wounded when shot by off-duty Houston PD Sgt. M. Dillingham (15-yr. vet, Gang Div.), who saw Williams burglarizing his car as he left a restaurant. When Dillingham identified himself as a police officer and drew his gun, Williams got into another car and began to drive toward Dillingham, who claims he thought he saw a gun in Williams' hand. Dillingham shot at the car several times. Williams got away, but was found later and arrested. (media reports)
39. 12/29/11 - Clemente Vela, h/m, 32, wounded when shot by off-duty Houston PD officer Julio Lopez, h/m, 29 (5-yr. vet), who was with friends and relatives at a local restaurant after leaving a nightclub. A witness says that when 3 other men came in (who also had been at a nightclub) and sat at a table next to Lopez, Lopez' group began making racial slurs toward Vela's group, and remarks and hand gestures were exchanged. Lopez says he went to his car to get his cell phone to call for backup, and also got his gun. He says when he began walking back to the restaurant, he saw Vela's group harassing and threatening his brother outside with a knife. Lopez says he fired his gun into the air several times, identified himself as a police officer, and ordered Vela to drop the knife. He then claims Vela charged at him with a knife, and he shot him -- four times. However, the witness says Vela complied with Lopez' order and had his hands up when Lopez shot him. He further says Lopez' group appeared to be drunk and started the incident. (media reports)
38. 
12/25/11 - Blake Pate, w/m, 24, killed when shot by Houston PD Sgt. Curtis W. Hampton (13-yr. vet, Northeast Patrol), who claims Pate was speeding when he crashed into a ditch. He began walking away when Hamilton ordered him to stop, and arrested him. Hampton claims that as he was taking him to the patrol car, Pate started resisting; they struggled, and Hampton was knocked to the ground. He claims Pate reached toward him and he feared for his life (although Pate had no weapon), so he shot him. However, witnesses at the scene disagree with Hampton's version of the incident and say there was no struggle, that Pate was compliant, and there was no reason for him to be shot. Pate is the 17th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
Also see: 11/11/03 - Hampton wounds Louis Medlow.
37. 12/19/11 - Octavius Wade, wounded when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputy M.C. Collier, who had responded to a burglary call. When deputies arrived at the home Wade allegedly tried to push past the officer at the front door. Officers claim the two struggled, and Wade was shot in the buttocks. (media reports)
36. 12/2/11 - Jerome Barrera Jr.
25, wounded when shot by South Houston PD Sgt. Enrique Guzman, IV. (6-yr. vet). Barrera was displaying a gun in the parking lot of a funeral home when officers arrived. When ordered to put the gun down, officers claim he refused and instead pointed it at them, and Guzman then shot him, hitting Barrera in the chest. (media reports)
35. 11/30/11 - Adam Garza, 19, killed when shot by Houston PD undercover officer Arnoldo Chapa, who was parked at an apartment complex when he claims Garza, armed with a gun, tried to hijack his car. Chapa quickly shot him, 7 times, claiming he feared for his life. Witnesses say Garza had no gun; officers claim they found one next to Garza's body. Garza is the 16th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
See also, 5/24/12 - Chapa shoots and wounds Kevin Bernard Hunter.
34. 11/21/11 - Joshua Anthony Twohig, w/m, 21 and mentally ill, wounded when shot by Houston PD bike officers A. Cantos and H. Lam (Special Operations; both 2-yr. vets). Twohig began shooting a rifle into the air and the pool at Tranquility Park, then put the gun at his head. Both officers claimed they feared for their lives and opened fire on Twohig, hitting him in the ankle and in the back; another bullet grazed his chest. A neighbor said Twohig was under a lot of stress because his wife had recently had surgery, and he had lost his job. His attorney says he intended to commit "suicide by cop." (media reports)
33. 11/21/11 - A. Thompson, wounded when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputy G. Haselberger. DEA officers were trailing a truck filled with marijuana and driven by an alleged informant; they planned to arrest those who received the shipment. Instead, several vehicles began shooting at the truck in an attempt to intercept the shipment. When officers then shot at those vehicles, Anthony was hit in the leg. (media reports)
31. & 32. 11/4/11 - Quentin Russell and Octavius Marshall, wounded when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputies Michael L. Medina, S. Bowdoin, Adam Wright and C. Cole. Russell and Marshall had just robbed a pawn shop, and officers encountered them as they were getting into their car. When they tried to flee, the deputies all fired at their car, hitting both Russell and Marshall. Medina and Wright were fired in 2013 for sexual misconduct while on duty. (media reports)
See also: 06/07/12 - Medina shoots Jaime Gamboa as he surrenders;
03/09/11 - Medina shoots Charles R. Roy, Jr.;
06/29/10 - Medina critically wounds Diego Castellanos; and
06/17/09 - Medina wounds J. Garcia.
30. 9/14/11 - Lonnie Walker, 23, wounded when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputy M. Gustafson. Walker and a companion had robbed a restaurant, and were confronted by deputies as they were leaving. Walker's companion was caught, but Walker fled. Claiming he refused orders to stop, Gustafson shot Walker from behind, hitting him in the leg. (media reports)
29. 9/13/11 - Jose Luis Polanco, h/m, 17, killed when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputy Bryan Angelle (19-yr. vet). Neighbors called officers to Polanco's residence because he was arguing violently with his mother in his yard. Polanco was in an upstairs bedroom when Angelle arrived, who said he tried to talk him out. Instead, Angelle claims Polanco charged at him with a knife, and he shot him several times. Polanco is the 14th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
28. 9/9/11 - Daniel Sisneros-Torres, h/m, 23, killed when shot by off-duty South Houston PD officer Paul Brantley (8-yr. veteran). Torres had just robbed a gas station and shot two customers. Brantley was pumping gas in his car when he saw Torres leaving the store, and they exchanged gunfire. A foot chase ensued, Brantley caught up with Torres and shot him. Torres is the 13th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
27. 9/6/11 - Jeremy Wyble, b/m, 23, wounded when shot by Houston PD officer J.J. Greenhaw (2-yr. vet, Northeast Patrol), who had stopped Wyble for a traffic violation. Three men got out of the car and fled, while Wyble allegedly pointed a shotgun at Greenhaw, who then shot Wyble. (media reports)
26. 9/3/11 - Crescencio Ramos, h/m, critically wounded when shot by Houston PD rookie officer R.J. Kamperman (1-yr. vet). Kamperman had detained another person when Ramos drove his truck into the back of his patrol vehicle. Kamperman claims Ramos then got out of the truck and "charged" at him with one hand behind his back; claiming he feared for his safety, Kamperman shot him. (media reports)
24. & 25. 8/19/11 - Thomas Patrick Boone, w/m, 24, killed, and Scott Alan Webb.
Scott Webb
w/m, 40, wounded when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputy M. Murphy. Officers say Boone and Webb had robbed two taquerias at gunpoint, and several patrol cars began chasing them. After Webb's car struck several vehicles, including two patrol cars, deputies say Webb continued to drive towards a third patrol car. Murphy claims he feared for his and others' lives, so he shot them. However, a witness says that Boone and Webb were shot after getting out of their car, unarmed. Boone is the 12th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
23. 8/8/11 - Dennis Glenn, killed when shot by off-duty Houston police officer Lisa Scharf, 26 (3-yr. vet.), who was at home when she heard a noise and saw Glenn in her backyard. She confronted him with gun drawn, says he tried to take the gun from her, and he was shot during the struggle. Glenn is the 11th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
22. 8/5/11 - Margarito Brito
killed when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputies N. Parojcic, S. Leslie, J. Thomas and P. Bruce. Brito had been under surveillance for undisclosed reasons, and deputies were told to stop his car. He was quickly surrounded by several deputies, and when he tried to drive away the deputies opened fire, killing him. Brito is the 10th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
21. 8/2/11 - Nolton Joseph LaFleur III., killed when shot by Metro PD officer Richard Hernandez, 37 (12-yr. vet and firearms trainer), who said LaFleur ran a red light. Hernandez stopped him at a resident's gate, where he claims LaFleur refused commands to get out of the car and instead put the car in reverse, ending up in a ditch. Hernandez further claims LaFleur made a furtive move, so he shot him. Witnesses say he was trying to put the car in park, and "they just started shooting." LaFleur is the 9th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
20. 7/28/11 - Clarence Branford, b/m, 57, wounded by ricocheting bullet fired by Houston PD narcotics officer J.C. Oliver Jr. (8-yr. vet). While serving a search warrant, Oliver claims a dog attacked him, so he shot the dog with a shotgun. Branford was apparently struck by one of the shotgun pellets. (media reports)
19. 7/22/11 - Victor Hernandez, h/m, 20, wounded when shot by Pasadena PD officer M.T. Martin, who stopped Hernandez because he was driving erratically. As he approached Hernandez' truck, he pulled his gun and shot him in the jaw. Hernandez then fled, and a chase began, but he stopped a few miles away. No explanation was give by PPD for why Martin drew his gun. (media reports)
18. 7/11/11 - Edgar Ramirez, h/m, killed when shot by off-duty Houston PD officer C.E. Hightower (4-yr. vet, Northeast Patrol), who was directing traffic when he saw Ramirez stabbing another man nearby. Hightower says Ramirez refused to drop the knife, and Hightower shot him. Ramirez is the 8th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
17. 6/18/11 - John Michael Porter, w/m, 60, wounded when shot in the chest by Houston PD North Patrol Div. officers R. Pedraza (27-yr. vet) and S. Harvey (4-yr. vet). Porter was shooting a gun at his home; when officers told him to put the gun down, they claim he shot at them. (media reports)
16. 6/15/11 - Ramiro Ortiz, h/m, 18 and unarmed, wounded when shot in the back by Houston PD Northeast Patrol Div. officers Amna K. Ali (6-mo. rookie) and Gilbert Garcia Jr. (21-yr. vet). Ortiz and 2 companions were engaged in burglarizing a vehicle. When police arrived the 3 attempted to flee in a pickup truck that officers say was stolen. When the pickup rammed Ali and Garcia's patrol car, they jumped out and began shooting at the fleeing suspects, hitting Ortiz in the back. (media reports)
14. & 15. 6/9/11 - Tadarel St-Julien, killed, and Davion Randle (both unarmed), wounded when shot by Houston PD Southeast Patrol Div. Lt. Donald Hamilton (28-yr. vet). St-Julien and Randle had broken into Hamilton's home, unaware that he was at home. Hamilton shot the two when he saw them in his house. Tadarel-St. Julien is the 7th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
13. 5/16/11 - Juan Jaimes, h/m, 21, wounded when shot by Houston PD Sgt. A. Elizondo, working off-duty at a Northwest Mall night club. Jaimes had fired a weapon and began driving through the parking lot of the mall. He lost control, and hit several cars. When he got out of his car, Elizondo, claiming he feared for his life, shot Jaimes, hitting him in the hand. (media reports)
12. 5/7/11 - Jesse Brown
b/m, 20, killed when shot by Houston PD officers Fernando Meza (2-yr vet, working off-duty as a security guard), Timothy Moore, C.C. Thompson and B.L. Smith. Brown was attempting to board a bus to Georgia when a ticket agent saw a gun in his bag. The agent notified Meza, who shot Brown with a Taser when he refused to turn over his bag. As Brown fled, Moore, Thompson and Smith arrived, and gunshots were exchanged. Brown was hit in the side, and Meza and another officer received minor wounds. Brown was later found dead in a parking garage with a gunshot wound in his head. Police claim suicide. Brown is the 6th person known to have been shot to death this year in an officer-involved shooting by Harris County police officers. (media reports)
Also see, 10/30/10 - Ricardo Salazar-Limon, wounded when shot by officer C.C. Thompson.
11. 3/26/11 - Pablo Sabas Flores, h/m, 17, wounded when shot in the leg by Houston PD officer B.A. LeBlanc (2-yr. vet, North Patrol). Flores' father had allegedly assaulted his wife and was attempting to avoid arrest, with his son Pablo Flores driving his truck. When Pablo crashed the truck, he tried to run away. As LeBlanc was chasing him, he claims Pablo reached in his pocket, so he shot him. (media reports)
See also, 5/24/12 - LeBlanc shoots, kills Kevin Bernard Hunter.
10. 3/16/11 - Kenneth Wayne Thomas, 30, killed when shot by off-duty Houston PD narcotics officer S.O. Bryant. Bryant (15-yr. vet) noticed Thomas and another man sitting in their car the apartment complex where he was working a second job, and thought they might be doing drugs. He claims he identified himself as a police officer and ordered them to get out of the car; he further claims Thomas began trying to free a gun that he was sitting on, so he shot him. But residents tell a different story; they say that both Thomas and his companion had their hands up when Bryant shot Thomas. Police claim they found a gun and marijuana in the car. Thomas is the 5th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
9. 3/9/11 - Charles R. Roy Jr., 37, killed when shot in the chest by Harris County sheriff's deputy Michael Medina (8-yr. vet.), who had responded to a disturbance call. When Roy opened the apartment door, Medina says he started arguing and the two struggled. After they rolled down the stairs, Medina says he Tasered Roy, then claims Roy took the Taser from him, so he shot him. Roy is the 4th person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. Medina was fired in 2013 for sexual misconduct while on duty. (media reports)
See also, 6/7/12 - Medina shoots Jaime Gamboa as he surrenders;
11/4/11 - Medina shoots Quentin Russell and Octavius Marshall;
6/29/10 - Medina shoots Diego Castellanos; and
6/17/09 - Medina shoots J. Garcia.
7. & 8. 2/27/11 - Kimberly Roman and Valerie Gonzales, wounded when shot by Webster PD officer R.D. Berryman. Police were called to a nightclub disturbance; when they arrived, they found a melee had broken out. As they tried to stop the fighting, Berryman claims he was grabbed from behind and choked nearly unconscious. Roman allegedly was also attacking him, and he drew his gun. During the struggle, Berryman says his gun went off. It is unclear how Gonzales was wounded. (media reports)
6. 2/24/11 - Albelino Serrato Espinoza, h/m, 30, wounded when shot by Houston PD narcotics officers Nash E. Patel, 39 (13-yr. vet), B. Davis and W. Rios. Police were conducting a raid on suspected drug cartel members. When they broke into the house, they say Espinoza started shooting at them, and gunfire was exchanged. Patel was also wounded in the hip and elbow. (media reports)
4. & 5. 2/19/11 - Omar Ventura, h/m, 29, killed, and Rolando Ventura, h/m, 27, wounded when shot by off-duty Houston PD officer Jose Coronado, 37 (4-yr. vet), who had just attended a party at a pub. Coronado claims while he was walking to his car he heard a friend calling for help and saw him on the ground being punched and kicked by 4 men. He claims one of the men reached into his waistband and he feared for his life, so he shot him. He further claims another man began advancing toward him, so he shot him, too. Ventura is the 3rd person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
3. 2/14/11 - William Chad Nash
w/m, 32 and mentally ill, killed when shot by off-duty Houston PD officer Raul Abdala, 36 (9-yr. vet). Nash and a family member were involved in a confrontation in their front yard. Abdala, who lives next door to the family, was asked by the family member to intervene. He says Nash refused to put down a knife and began to walk toward him. Abdala claims he feared for his life, and shot Nash, killing him. Nash is the 2nd person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)
2. 2/7/11 - Jason Edwin Norman, 22 and known to be mentally ill, critically wounded when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputy G. Hardin (9-yr. vet). When officers responded to a domestic disturbance call, Norman, allegedly armed with a pistol and rifle, was in the home with his family. After trying to talk Norman out of the house, they say they heard a gunshot, and went inside. Deputies claim Norman then pointed a gun at Hardin, who shot him. (media reports)
Also see: 1/24/10 - Ashley Ginn, 21 and mentally ill, wounded when shot by Harris County Sheriff's deputy G. Hardin.
1. 1/24/11 - Esteban Carlon
h/m, 21, killed when shot by Humble PD officer D.G. Miller. Carlon and his brother were seen burglarizing a car. Carlon jumped into the pickup truck and urged his brother to drive away, but he refused and they sat there until police arrived. Miller then began attempting to break the window with his gun, and it fired, hitting Carlon in the head and killing him. Carlon is the 1st person known to have been shot to death this year by a Harris County police officer. (media reports)