Driver Killed In Gunfight After Houston Car Chase: Police

HOUSTON, TX — The driver in a car chase that started in Pasadena and ended at a Goodwill store in Greenspoint was killed in an exchange of gunfire Thursday morning, according to the Houston Police Department.

Houston police stopped the man, who was driving a white sedan, by hitting his car in the parking lot of the Goodwill near Greenspoint Mall. The driver, who was wearing body armor, got out of the car with an AR-15 style rifle and fired at officers. Two HPD SWAT officers and two Harris County Precinct 4 deputies returned fire and hit him an unknown number of times, HPD Executive Chief Matt Slinkard said in a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Paramedics attempted to aid the driver, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, Slinkard added.

No cops were injured, but a bystander suffered a minor leg injury and was taken to Northwest Memorial Hospital. It was unclear if the bystander was hit with shrapnel or a ricocheted bullet, according to HPD.

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Police didn't release the suspect's name but said he was a Black man approximately in his 40s.

The chase ended near the junction of Interstate 45 and Beltway 8. Houston police believed the driver was a suspect in a shooting Monday at a police station in Spring, which is under investigation by the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.

The suspect called the Precinct 4 Constable's Office during the pursuit and threatened to shoot officers, Slinkard said.

The Precinct 4 Constable's Office requested help from multiple agencies, including HPD, after learning through their investigation the suspect would be in the Texas Medical Center/OST area, police said.

The chase ensued when the suspect fled from an attempted traffic stop by Precinct 4 officers.

The suspect went through downtown, then got on Interstate 45 and exited on West Greens Road. The driver drove around the Greenspoint Mall, a Chevron gas station and a Whataburger for several minutes before being apprehended at the Goodwill.

The chase delayed the start of the Veterans Day parade in downtown, a precautionary measure taken by HPD. Officers also staged resources downtown to prevent the suspect from getting close to the parade route, Slinkard said.

Lone Star College-Houston North Greenspoint went into lockdown because of the chase and has since reopened, according to the Lone Star College Police Department.

The Houston Police Department will handle the investigation into the shooting that ended the pursuit, and the Precinct 4 Constable's Office will continue to oversee the investigation into Monday's shooting in Spring, Slinkard said.