[ad_1]
A Houston police officer was killed and another injured on Monday as he attempted to execute an arrest warrant at a Harris County apartment complex.
A man suspected in the narcotics case was also killed.
William Jeffrey, a veteran officer who joined the department in 1990, was pronounced dead at the Hermann Memorial Hospital at Texas Medical Center. The other officer, who is said to be in stable condition, has been identified as the sergeant. Michel Vance. He joined the department in 1997.
Several of the suspect’s sisters gathered at the scene identified him as Deon Ledet.
The shooting took place around 7:30 a.m. in the 5300 block of Aeropark Drive. Officers got a call to help one of their own, said Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. Officers had gone to a north Houston home, where they knocked on a door and asked a woman if the person they were looking for was there. A suspect came out and “immediately” shot officers, Finner said.
SIGN UP FOR NEWS ALERTS: Stay up to date with all the biggest stories on HoustonChronicle.com as they happen
Several neighbors told The Chronicle that they saw undercover agents descend into the house, then heard gunshots. One of the neighbors saw that a woman with a baby was let out of the apartment before gunshots broke out. Several officers rushed to rescue the officer.
The two officers were part of a team of officers from the Major Offender Division, which regularly handles arrests of some of the city’s most dangerous criminals. The police were serving an arrest warrant against the accused shooter when he allegedly started shooting.
The two officers were unable to retaliate; According to sources, one of the other officers who were with them shot the gunman, killing him.
Paramedics transported the two men to Memorial Hermann Hospital at Texas Medical Center, one by ambulance and the other by helicopter.
Police rally outside Memorial Hermann ER after two officers were shot while police were serving an arrest warrant at a Harris County compound on Monday, September 20, 2021.
Yi-Chin Lee / Team PhotographerThe shootings come nearly a year after the police department lost two other officers to guns: Staff Sgt. Sean Rios, who was shot and killed in November 2020 and Sgt. Harold Preston, a few weeks ago, in mid-October.
Jeffrey spent almost 31 years in the ministry.
“Most of us knew him personally, I’ve known him my entire career,” Finner said. “It’s exactly as his wife said – what a great man, what a great officer.”
Finner said Jeffrey’s wife had also worked in the department but had recently retired. They have a child and were building their dream home, he said.
“He’s a great man and a great family man,” Finner said.
Finner said that since the shooting took place in the county, the sheriff’s office would investigate the incident alongside HPD’s internal affairs division.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the team was home to execute a “high level felony warrant”.
“Our hearts break for our brothers and sisters in the Houston Police Department,” Gonzalez said. “We will do everything possible to conduct a thorough investigation for everyone involved.
As he has done in other tragedies in the past, Finner called on the city to come together, support Jeffrey’s family, and help the police “crush” violent crime.
Ledet’s family said he worked as a security guard at a junkyard and was the father of six children. He had been in frequent conflict with the law since 2008 and had been charged on several occasions with aggravated assault.
Court records show authorities requested an arrest warrant for Ledet in January, months after he was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.
TRY THE APPLICATION: Receive alerts, the latest news and in-depth coverage of what’s happening in Houston through our mobile app
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, left to right, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner and Houston Police Executive Chief Matt Slinkard walk from the hospital to Hermann Park for a press conference on two police officers were shot dead while serving an arrest warrant in the 5300 block of Aeropark Drive on Monday, September 20, 2021, at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. One of the two officers was pronounced dead in hospital. He has been identified as William Jeffrey, a veteran officer who joined the department in 1990. The other officer, who is believed to be in stable condition, has been identified as Sgt. Michel Vance. He joined the department in 1997.
Yi-Chin Lee / Personal PhotographerAccording to information from the district clerk’s office, Houston police arrested Ledet in mid-November.
Prosecutors initially called for Ledet to be held without bail even though he had not been charged with a capital felony, arguing that he had already been convicted twice for a felony. A trial judge initially set the bond at $ 40,000; State District Judge Greg Glass then accepted a request from Ledet’s lawyers to reduce his bond to $ 20,000.
Almost immediately, Ledet violated the terms of his bail, by failing to show up for pre-trial services to get an ankle monitor, according to additional court records.
“The accused had 3 days to report to the PTS to receive a GPS upon his release,” wrote an employee of the pre-trial services. “The defendant was released on 11/18/20. The defendant did not report by 11/30/2020.”
A new arrest warrant against him was then issued in January.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
[ad_2]
Source link