HOUSTON — A gunman opened fire on Houston police last month with a VSKA AK-style pistol. Officers returned fire during a harrowing gun battle. The suspect was struck and eventually taken into custody. Amazingly, the officers escaped the hail of gunfire without injuries, according to a report.
The fierce firefight occurred November 18, 2022, at approximately about 12:55 a.m. when two uniformed Houston police officers in a marked patrol unit saw a suspicious vehicle in a location known to them for narcotics activity, reported Breaking 911.
As officers trailed the vehicle through a residential neighborhood, they witnessed it accelerate and then fail to stop at multiple stop signs. As a result, police activated their emergency equipment and the suspect driver — later identified as 34-year-old Anthony J. Garcia — refused to yield and a vehicle pursuit was initiated.
The chase continued for an unspecified period of time until the suspect vehicle suddenly spun around, stopping directly in front of, and facing the patrol car. As the police unit was being placed in park so the officers could engage the suspect, he immediately opened fire with a VSKA AK-style pistol. The gunman fired several rounds through his front windshield in the direction of the officers’ front windshield.
Officers returned fire and then advanced on the suspect vehicle while issuing commands as gunfire ceased. Officers were able to extract the gunman from the back seat compartment of the truck and take him into custody.
Paramedics responded to the scene and then transported the gunman to Ben Taub General Hospital in stable condition.
Thankfully, the officers were not injured during the gun battle, Breaking 911 reported.
(Image via Breaking 911)
Garcia is facing two counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer, felony evading arrest in a motor vehicle and felon in possession of a firearm. He remains hospitalized with non-life threatening gunshot wounds nearly one month after the shooting, according to Breaking 911.
