12/05/17 – Houston, TX – Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Transports Shooting Victim To Hospital – Man Not Involved With The Incident Steals HCSO Patrol Car For Joy Ride

www.chron.com

In a bizarre sequence of events for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Monday night, one suspect was accidentally shot in the face by a deputy and transported to the hospital–only for a second suspect to steal a cruiser at that same hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

The events began when an off-duty deputy working an extra security job called in a wreck, in which the suspect responsible failed to stop and give information, said spokesman Jason Spencer. Spencer said a second deputy in a marked HCSO vehicle located the suspect and pursued him in a brief chase, which ended at a residence on the 500 block of Connorvale, in Aldine.

Before the suspect could even show his license and registration, however, the deputy said he accidentally shot him through the window. He had approached the man’s car with his gun drawn, given it was directly after a pursuit, Spencer said.

“When the deputy approached the vehicle with his weapon in hand,” Sgt. Cedrick Collier said at the scene, “the deputy slipped in some water and mud in the driveway, and his weapon discharged, grazing the suspect across the forehead.”

The suspect was transported to Ben Taub Hospital, where HCSO later said he was in stable condition.

Spencer said deputies had been parked at the hospital waiting for the suspect to be discharged so he could be taken to jail.

At some point early Tuesday morning, a man who appeared to be completely unconnected to the shooting incident spotted one of the unattended HCSO cruisers. The keys were left inside, Spencer said.

The person hopped inside and later told deputies he just wanted to take the car “for a joy ride.”

Spencer said it was unclear how far the suspect had gotten before deputies apprehended him and took him into custody. Spencer did not know whether he had been charged as of Tuesday morning.

HCSO said the first suspect who had been shot may face charges for failing to stop and give information following the car accident and felony evading arrest charges.

 

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