HOUSTON — A man was shot and killed by an officer after police said he killed his father, then tried to carjack a driver at a Spring Branch elementary school. As police were trying to get him, he carjacked two drivers to get away.
It all started with a call to Houston police at around 7:10 a.m. HPD Chief Troy Finner said the call came from a home along Mona Lee south of Kempwood. A woman told police that her son got into an argument with his father. She told officers she heard a gunshot and officers found the father dead.
About 10 minutes later, Spring Branch ISD police said they got the call about the man trying to steal vehicles at Buffalo Creek Elementary School as school was starting. According to Spring Branch ISD Police Chief Larry Baimbridge, the man tried to carjack a parent dropping off her kids but wasn’t able to. Police said he also may have tried to get into the school. A Spring Branch ISD officer spotted him and the man took off running.
After he left the school, police said the suspect carjacked a driver. A Spring Branch ISD officer started to chase him and during that chase, the suspect hit other vehicles, including a school bus, according to Baimbridge. The suspect then got out of that vehicle and carjacked another driver.
Mike Noble said he was in town for work and was driving a rental car down Campbell when he noticed emergency lights behind him.
"So I pulled over to get out of the way, next thing I know is, I saw an individual pull up behind me and jumped out of his car with a gun pointed at me and demanded I get out of the car," he said.
Noble followed the suspect's orders and got out of the SUV. He ran and hid in a nearby ditch.
He's grateful to be alive but shaken up by what happened.
"I’m very grateful I’m alive right now. Grateful to the police that handled the situation," Noble said.
This is video of one of the carjackings, captured on surveillance video from a nearby business.
Baimbridge said the suspect came to a dead end behind a building on Campbell Road, got out, turned toward the officer and fired at least one shot. The officer shot back, hitting the man several times, killing him.
Authorities said the suspect was no stranger to law enforcement. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said they're working to figure out a motive for the crime spree.
At this point, we don’t know the name of the suspect. The Spring Branch ISD officer is a 12-year veteran of the force, according to Baimbridge.
We don’t have word of any other injuries. This is a developing story. As we learn more, we’ll post it here.