PASADENA, Texas – Police in Texas fatally shot a non-compliant man who was waving a gun while walking down the street Tuesday afternoon.
The Pasadena Police Department received a call about 10:16 a.m. regarding a man seen walking with a handgun during a time of heavy traffic, KHOU reported.
Responding officers spotted the individual near Strawberry and Spencer Highway. Upon their arrival, the man took off running away from police.
Officers gave the suspect commands over the vehicle’s intercom while they trailed him in their patrol units.
Despite several commands to drop the weapon, the suspect ignored their orders, police said.
“The subject then walked into the middle of the roadway, at which point he turned and started walking back toward the officers that were following him in their vehicles,” said Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger. “Both officers discharged their weapons, struck the suspect, he was pronounced deceased here in the roadway.”
“It’s traumatic to take another life even if your own life is in danger,” Bruegger said.
The suspect has been described as a man in his 20s. He has not yet been publicly identified.
Two officers assigned to the Traffic Division were involved in the shooting. One is a seven-year veteran. The other has been on the job for four years, Click 2 Houston reported.
“I know there are a lot of videos floating out there on social media of the shooting already,” Bruegger said. “Our plan is to get our videos, car camera and the body camera out by the end of the day.”
The Internal Affairs Division of the Pasadena Police Department and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office are investigating what led up to the shooting.
