HOUSTON — A man, who was in the hospital after being shot by officers following a chase, is facing charges, according to the Houston Police Department.
HPD patrol officers saw a black Ford pickup truck speeding just before midnight Friday near the North Freeway and West Little York.
Police said they performed a traffic stop and ordered the driver to get out of the vehicle. The driver, later identified as Manuel Elias-Torres, 43, refused and then sped away, which led to the chase. As police chased Elias-Torres, he stopped the truck and slammed into patrol vehicles several times.
At about 12:05 a.m., Elias-Torres stopped the truck on West Mount Houston and the North Freeway and three people ran from the vehicle.
As officers chased them, police said Elias-Torres pointed a handgun at an officer inside a marked patrol vehicle behind him. The officer, J. Ready, fired his gun shooting Elias-Torres multiple times.
He was taken to the hospital and police said he is stable.
Officers found multiple guns in Elias-Torres’ possession, and in the truck, along with ski masks, police said.
Elias-Torres is charged with three counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer and felony evading.
The other two people were also taken into custody and released.
Ready was not injured. He was put on administrative leave, which is part of the department's policy, police said. The shooting is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Ready was sworn in as an officer in December 2018 and is assigned to the North Patrol.
Bodycam footage will be released within 30 days, which is also department policy. No officers were injured in the incident, police said.