HOUSTON — A Houston Police Department officer shot and killed a man with a gun Friday in northeast Houston, the department said.
This happened in an apartment complex on Bennington Street near Homestead Road.
HPD Chief Troy Finner said that a little after 7 p.m. a group of males were at the complex on "open" social media. When officers arrived just before 9 p.m. they saw the men who took off running. Officers ran after them. During the chase, one of the men pulled out an assault rifle and pointed it at one of the officers who then fired several shots, Finner said.
The suspect, who Finner said appeared to be 17 or 18 years old was taken to a hospital but died. No officers were injured.
Seven to eight men were questioned by the department's homicide division. Finner said five guns were found, including the suspect's gun.
"We've all got to make better decisions," Finner said. "I talked to the officer as well and he’s hurting. People think we’re not human, we are. And he’s hurting because we protect and we serve.
We don’t sign up to shoot people and that's the truth."
The man who was shot has not been identified.
The officer involved in the shooting will be placed on administrative leave. The officer is a six-year veteran assigned to the crime suppression unit.
The shooting remains under investigation.