Officer shoots suspect at Airline-area strip mall
By DALE LEZON HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Nov. 5, 2010, 8:46AMA police officer shot and wounded a 16-year-old suspect during a confrontation at a strip mall early this morning in north Houston.
The shooting occurred outside the shopping center at 100 West Dyna near Airline and the North Freeway about 1:30 a.m., police said.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, was rushed to Ben Taub General Hospital. He was wounded in the arm and leg. Police did not release his condition, but said he is expected to survive.
No other injuries were reported.
Police said two officers were driving on the service road of Interstate 45 near where the shooting occurred when they saw what appeared to be a road rage incident between people in a Crown Victoria and Lincoln.
The driver of the Crown Victoria left, but the motorist in the Lincoln stopped and told the officers the other men wore bandanas on portions of their faces and one of them appeared to have a gun. The driver also said a red pickup was involved.
The officers spotted what appeared to be the Crown Victoria, a red pickup and five men at the strip center. The men wore bandanas on parts of their faces like masks. The officers saw one of the men walk out of an electronics store carrying merchandise after he had apparently burglarized the business.
One of the men got into the Crown Victoria and drove toward one of the officers even though the officer had ordered him to stop, police said. The officer fired at the car, but didn’t hit the suspect, who drove away. He was caught nearby a short time later.
Another one of the men crouched down and appeared to put his hand near his waist. The officer who had fired at the car ordered the man to stop and show his hands, but the man refused. That’s when the officer fired twice, hitting the man in his arm and leg.
The other suspects were taken into custody.
The Houston Police Department Homicide and Internal Affairs divisions as well as the Harris County District Attorney’s Office will investigate the case.
It marks second time in the last few days that a Houston officer has wounded a suspect in a shooting, with more details on the other case here. Also, Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies fired at a suspect Thursday at a dance hall. (More details here.)On Wednesday, Houston Police Officer M. Rivera shot a man in the leg when the man refused to obey commands to stop and appeared to raise his arm at the officer after patrol officers were dispatched to an assault in progress at a home at 16206 Alden Ridge about 10:40 p.m., police said.
Police said they heard a woman screaming inside the house, pleading with someone to stop hitting her.
Rivera saw him go into the backyard and climb a wooden fence. Rivera ordered him to stop, but the man refused. Rivera followed him, but could not clearly see one of the man's hands, which appeared to be on his waistband.
When Rivera, who has been on the force since March 2009, hoisted himself up to look over the fence, he saw the man. The man raised his arm and turned toward the officer.
That's when Rivera, in fear of his safety, fired two shots, hitting the man. The man (identified as Morgan Chadwick Wilson, 21) is expected to survive, police said. Police said he is charged with is charged with felony assault (family violence) and evading arrest.
Also, off-duty Harris County Sheriff's deputies were working security when they escorted a an unruly patron from a dance hall at 19905 Holzwarth about 1:20 a.m Thursday, officials said.
Officials said the man drove a pickup toward the deputies later. Fearing for their safety, the deputies fired several times at the truck, hitting it more than once. No injuries were reported. He was arrested a short time later after he drove away from the parking lot.
That case was being investigated.
dale.lezon@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7280661.html