A fatal conclusion of a domestic violence incident occurred on the Southwest Freeway when Houston police engaged in a shooting after a high-speed chase with a kidnapping suspect. According to Click2Houston, the incident began with a domestic quarrel and escalated into the kidnapping of a lady and her child at gunpoint.
HPD Executive Chief Thomas Hardin told the press that the scenario deteriorated when the male suspect, who had previously had an altercation with his wife, forcibly removed her and their child from a relative’s home, initiating the pursuit. According to Houston police’s CCTV, the man, armed and desperate, confronted authorities and fired at them throughout the chase. Click2Houston received a statement from Hardin, stating, “Our units backed off as far as they could, hoping that the suspect would either pull over or release the hostages, but that did not happen.”
Ultimately, the scenario took a terrible turn on I-69 when the suspect was shot by police after a pit maneuver designed to safely halt the pursuit. In an interview with KHOU 11, Hardin described the chase as lasting more than ten minutes. Officers then safely removed the woman and child before treating the suspect, who died on the scene.
Before the police could address the dire situation on the ground, the manned helicopter spotted the suspect’s vehicle below. Thanking the officers for their efforts, Hardin stated, “It is a tremendous amount of information they have to take in during a situation like this—a mobile hostage scene where they were shot at two separate times—but they continued to do what was right and try to save these hostages, and at the end of the day, both hostages were rescued unharmed because of the courageous acts of our officers and our supervisors,” according to reporter KHOU 11.
The event has highlighted the larger issue of domestic violence in Houston. According to local police data cited by KHOU 11, one in every four homicides investigated last month was the result of domestic violence. Mayor John Whitmire encouraged victims to seek help, saying, “Reach out for help from the Houston Area Women’s Center” and underscoring that, “Regardless of your immigration status, you don’t have to live in an abusive, dangerous environment.” The Houston Area Women’s Center is planning to increase its ability to help more survivors next year.
