An auto theft suspect is dead after a struggle ensued with a Houston police officer
By: 0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Officer Cummings
5:29 - Officer Lusk
7:52 - Officer Passarella
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An alleged auto theft suspect is dead after a struggle ensued with a Houston police officer on the city's south side.
The scene began unfolding at about 2:35 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of a Family Dollar store at 12201 Martin Luther King Blvd near East Orem.
Houston police said an officer was looking into an auto theft investigation and found the reported vehicle in the parking lot of the store.
HPD said that when the officer walked up to the car, there was a man in his 40s in the driver's seat. HPD says the man put the car in reverse and rammed into a patrol car.
"As the officer approached and confronted the driver and asked the driver to step out of the vehicle, at the same moment, the driver actually put the car in reverse and backed and rammed into the patrol car," HPD Executive Assistant Chief Ban Tien said. "After multiple commands for the suspect to exit the vehicle, he finally exited, and officers attempted to detain the suspect, which subsequently led to a struggle between the suspect and the officer."
Police said during the struggle, the officer fired one shot after the suspect got on top of him and knocked off his stun gun.
HPD says they have not recovered a gun and do not believe the man was armed.
Police said the suspect was taken to a hospital in the Texas Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The officer involved suffered minor injuries.
Police have not released the identity of the suspect yet.
A woman was also found to be with the suspect, but her relationship with the suspect is unknown.
According to HPD, the vehicle in question was believed to have been taken during a robbery at about 1 a.m. Tuesday. Details regarding the scene were not fully released.
An investigation is ongoing into this case.