86NeSSP
06-16-2008, 01:28 PM
HERE (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5839600.html)
Carjacking suspect near HPD headquarters shot by officer
A police officer wounded a man who was trying to carjack a motorist near the downtown Houston police headquarters Sunday evening, authorities said.
The motorist was parked on Dallas near the HPD headquarters at 1200 Travis around 7:40 p.m. He was filling out paperwork inside a Ford Taurus that belongs to First Transit, a passenger transportation company that he works for on a contract basis, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.
An unidentified man approached and tried to get the driver's attention, Cannon said.
"Often times, people come up to (the driver's) vehicle and ask for directions around the city," Cannon said. "That's what he thought this individual was doing and that's why he opened the door."
But, when he opened the driver's side door, the motorist noticed that the man had a sweater or sweatshirt wrapped around one of his hands and was yelling at him incomprehensibly, Cannon said.
Believing he was in danger, the driver got out. In an attempt to stop the man from stealing the car, the driver pulled the cloth off the man's hand and removed the sunglasses from his face.
The man still managed to get into the car, Cannon said.
The motorist then yelled for help so loudly that he got the attention of Officer Ha Crawford, who works security detail at police headquarters, authorities said.
As Crawford approached, the motorist yelled to her that the man was trying to steal his car, Cannon said.
Witnesses on the ninth floor of the nearby Marriot building told investigators they heard Crawford order the suspect to get on the ground and show his hands about 15 to 20 times, Cannon said.
Crawford, a five-year veteran of the police force, approached the front driver's side of the vehicle with her gun drawn. The man was still in the front seat, refusing to get out or show his hands, authorities said.
The man finally got out of the car — putting his hands in his pocket, his waistband, behind his back and even, at one point, putting a clenched fist in front of his body — as he walked toward the officer, Cannon said.
"He was charging at her faster than she could back up and into the moving lanes of traffic," Cannon said. "And she waited as long as she could."
When the man was three to five feet away, Crawford shot him once in the abdomen, Cannon said.
The man was conscious after the shooting and later was listed in critical, but stable, condition at Ben Taub General Hospital, Cannon said.
Neither Crawford nor the motorist was injured. Cannon said police did not find a weapon on the man or nearby.
"Our preliminary investigation is indicating that this is an instance in which the suspect's actions clearly dictated what our officer was forced to do to save herself, and not the other way around," Cannon said.
Crawford will be placed on desk duty for at least three days, Cannon said, adding that the temporary assignment is not a punishment.
As is customary in all officer-involved shootings, the case will be investigated by the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs divisions and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Seriously with all the police officers that are ALWAYS walking around this area and all the LEO vehicles around why would anyone even try to carjack some one here? She did what she had to do.
Carjacking suspect near HPD headquarters shot by officer
A police officer wounded a man who was trying to carjack a motorist near the downtown Houston police headquarters Sunday evening, authorities said.
The motorist was parked on Dallas near the HPD headquarters at 1200 Travis around 7:40 p.m. He was filling out paperwork inside a Ford Taurus that belongs to First Transit, a passenger transportation company that he works for on a contract basis, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.
An unidentified man approached and tried to get the driver's attention, Cannon said.
"Often times, people come up to (the driver's) vehicle and ask for directions around the city," Cannon said. "That's what he thought this individual was doing and that's why he opened the door."
But, when he opened the driver's side door, the motorist noticed that the man had a sweater or sweatshirt wrapped around one of his hands and was yelling at him incomprehensibly, Cannon said.
Believing he was in danger, the driver got out. In an attempt to stop the man from stealing the car, the driver pulled the cloth off the man's hand and removed the sunglasses from his face.
The man still managed to get into the car, Cannon said.
The motorist then yelled for help so loudly that he got the attention of Officer Ha Crawford, who works security detail at police headquarters, authorities said.
As Crawford approached, the motorist yelled to her that the man was trying to steal his car, Cannon said.
Witnesses on the ninth floor of the nearby Marriot building told investigators they heard Crawford order the suspect to get on the ground and show his hands about 15 to 20 times, Cannon said.
Crawford, a five-year veteran of the police force, approached the front driver's side of the vehicle with her gun drawn. The man was still in the front seat, refusing to get out or show his hands, authorities said.
The man finally got out of the car — putting his hands in his pocket, his waistband, behind his back and even, at one point, putting a clenched fist in front of his body — as he walked toward the officer, Cannon said.
"He was charging at her faster than she could back up and into the moving lanes of traffic," Cannon said. "And she waited as long as she could."
When the man was three to five feet away, Crawford shot him once in the abdomen, Cannon said.
The man was conscious after the shooting and later was listed in critical, but stable, condition at Ben Taub General Hospital, Cannon said.
Neither Crawford nor the motorist was injured. Cannon said police did not find a weapon on the man or nearby.
"Our preliminary investigation is indicating that this is an instance in which the suspect's actions clearly dictated what our officer was forced to do to save herself, and not the other way around," Cannon said.
Crawford will be placed on desk duty for at least three days, Cannon said, adding that the temporary assignment is not a punishment.
As is customary in all officer-involved shootings, the case will be investigated by the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs divisions and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
Seriously with all the police officers that are ALWAYS walking around this area and all the LEO vehicles around why would anyone even try to carjack some one here? She did what she had to do.