Post by KC on Jan 9, 2007 22:17:14 GMT -5
HOUSTON, TEXAS - A Houston police officer shot and killed a man Monday afternoon when a traffic stop turned violent. At one point the suspect managed to use the officer's own Taser against him.
Authorities tell Eyewitness News that a broken brake light was enough for officers to pull over a driver. That's when the suspect got into a struggle with the officer and was able to grab that officer's Taser gun and fire it.
A Houston police officer pulled over a car on the corner of Knoxville near Cullen in southeast Houston. He placed the female driver under arrest. She had an outstanding warrant for theft by check.
Police say the passenger was the woman's boyfriend. He allegedly pushed the officer, then ran off when asked for ID.
A Houston police spokesman says the officer shocked the suspect with a Taser. However, the man kept running. The officer tackled that suspect after a foot chase of about 100 yards.
At that time, authorities say the suspect grabbed the officer's Taser out of the officer's hand and fired it, striking the officer in the neck and shoulder, and dislocating the officer's thumb. The officer then pulled his pistol and fired at the man, striking him in the chest.
One neighbor says he saw the whole thing. He says the suspect was wearing handcuffs when he was shot and killed.
"He had the gun, like, right here (at his waist)," recalled witness Michael Paul. "'Pow, pow, pow, pow!' He had the gun still like that. He was, like, 'Get on the ground!' But the dude wouldn't cooperate because the dude was already shot. ... He was handcuffed, handcuffed on the ground. And the dude shot him, shot him like he was trying to get away."
"The officer said he detected the odor of a narcotic, I believe it was PCP," said HPD Capt. Dwayne Ready. "That may have a lot to do with why the Taser was not effective with this particular individual."
The identity of the suspect has not been released. The officer involved is Leonard Smith, a 37-year-old officer with nine years of experience on the police force. Smith is being treated for non life threatening injuries at Memorial Hermann Hospital. He is on three days 'non street duty' pending the outcome of the investigation.
abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=4916828
Authorities tell Eyewitness News that a broken brake light was enough for officers to pull over a driver. That's when the suspect got into a struggle with the officer and was able to grab that officer's Taser gun and fire it.
A Houston police officer pulled over a car on the corner of Knoxville near Cullen in southeast Houston. He placed the female driver under arrest. She had an outstanding warrant for theft by check.
Police say the passenger was the woman's boyfriend. He allegedly pushed the officer, then ran off when asked for ID.
A Houston police spokesman says the officer shocked the suspect with a Taser. However, the man kept running. The officer tackled that suspect after a foot chase of about 100 yards.
At that time, authorities say the suspect grabbed the officer's Taser out of the officer's hand and fired it, striking the officer in the neck and shoulder, and dislocating the officer's thumb. The officer then pulled his pistol and fired at the man, striking him in the chest.
One neighbor says he saw the whole thing. He says the suspect was wearing handcuffs when he was shot and killed.
"He had the gun, like, right here (at his waist)," recalled witness Michael Paul. "'Pow, pow, pow, pow!' He had the gun still like that. He was, like, 'Get on the ground!' But the dude wouldn't cooperate because the dude was already shot. ... He was handcuffed, handcuffed on the ground. And the dude shot him, shot him like he was trying to get away."
"The officer said he detected the odor of a narcotic, I believe it was PCP," said HPD Capt. Dwayne Ready. "That may have a lot to do with why the Taser was not effective with this particular individual."
The identity of the suspect has not been released. The officer involved is Leonard Smith, a 37-year-old officer with nine years of experience on the police force. Smith is being treated for non life threatening injuries at Memorial Hermann Hospital. He is on three days 'non street duty' pending the outcome of the investigation.
abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=4916828