Houston Police Department Press Release Re: Officer Avila Fatally Shoots Suspect
Warning: This video is graphic and not suitable for children.
Investigation into Fatal Shooting Incident at 9900 Homestead Road, Houston, Texas.
January 7, 2025 – Houston police are investigating the fatal shooting of a male suspect who attempted to disarm an HPD officer at 9900 Homestead Road at about 8:10 a.m. on Monday (January 6).
The identity of the deceased male suspect is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.
HPD Officer J. Avila, who discharged his duty weapon, was not injured in the incident. Officer Avila was sworn in as an officer in May 2022 and is assigned to the Northeast Patrol Division.
HPD Special Investigations Unit Detectives J. Windham, A. Henderson and K. Vu reported:
HPD patrol officers responded to a burglary of a motor vehicle call in the 7300 block of Caddo Road. The suspect was reported to be armed with a sharp object. Officers arrived in the area, located the suspect and attempted to make contact with him.
The suspect fled on foot and attempted to evade officers. Officers pursued the suspect on foot and, after a short pursuit, tried to detain him. The suspect refused to comply with officers and actively resisted. During the struggle, the suspect got on top of one of the officers as they fell to the ground. The suspect then grabbed the officer’s duty weapon and, as he attempted to remove it from the holster, he fired a shot while the gun was still holstered.
Officer Avila heard the gunshot and, fearing for the officer’s safety, discharged his duty weapon at least twice and the suspect was struck. Houston Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and pronounced the suspect deceased. No officers were injured.
As is customary in HPD officer-involved shooting incidents in the Houston city limits, this case is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.