Officers shoot suspected pimp during sting operation

Friday, May 21, 2010
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HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Gunfire broke out overnight between police officers and a suspected pimp during a sting operation in west Houston.

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It happened at a Motel 6 off the West Sam Houston Parkway at Westheimer. Police say HPD vice officers were an undercover prostitution operation, in response to complaints from hotel management.

Investigators say they contacted a female prostitute advertising her services on a website and arranged for her to meet an undercover officer at the hotel. Investigators were later informed the female was brought to the motel by her pimp, Eddie Lee Moore.

Police say after the woman agreed to perform sexual acts for money, two officers came into the room and took her into custody. At some point during the arrest, Moore called the female suspect's cell phone and when she did not answer, started banging on the door of the hotel room.

As officers were preparing to open the door, they say Moore opened the door, pointed a gun at one of the officers and shot at him. Fearing for his safety and that of his fellow officers, that officer returned fire. A second officer then opened the door of the adjoining room, saw Moore shooting, also returned fire and struck Moore.

Neither officer was hit in the shootout, but Moore, the suspected pimp, was shot in the thigh.

"The suspect continued firing at our officer, fled down the hallway and down the stairs before collapsing outside," said Keese Smith with the Houston Police Department.

Moore, 37, was taken to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital where he was treated and then taken into custody. He faces charges of aggravated assault of a police officer and felon in possession of a firearm.

As is customary in all HPD officer-involved shootings in the city limits, this case will be investigated by the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs Divisions, and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

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http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7454179