Security guard charged with murder in shooting outside Houston washateria

A security guard was charged with murder Wednesday after waiting eight minutes to help the homeless man he is accused of fatally shooting outside a Houston washateria, according to police.

Lance Tyler Campbell, 27, worked for a private security company and was assigned to patrol a shopping center in the 7800 block of Bellfort, where he allegedly shot a 60-year-old man he kicked off the property the previous day, police said

Police found the shooting victim around 9 p.m. Tuesday in a parking lot outside the Sun Washateria, about a mile north of Hobby Airport. Campbell remained at the crime scene and spoke to police, but investigators later determined that his statements “were not consistent with other evidence.”

Court records identified the slain man as Michael Haney. His age was not immediately available.

The guard told investigators that he kicked Haney out of the shopping center on Monday and warned him not to return.

Campbell said he encountered Haney again on Tuesday night as he rummaged through a trash bin and threw the garbage into the parking lot, police said. The guard approached and again asked him to leave.

At that point, Campbell said the man became aggressive and started walking toward him. He said he felt threatened by Haney and shot him once, police said.

Surveillance footage provided to authorities by the security firm contradicted Campbell’s side of what happened.

The video showed Campbell kicking over a shopping basket with Haney’s belongings and drawing his weapon. He then shot him once in the throat, prosecutors said Tuesday afternoon during a probable cause hearing.

Haney did not charge Campbell, according to the footage.

He then waited eight minutes before trying to save the man’s life, prosecutors said in a request for a $100,000 bond. During those eight minutes, Campbell made a phone call and threw a rag from Haney’s belonging on top of the dying man.

Campbell stepped out of a view of the camera for about a minute and returned with rubber gloves on his hands. He then gave Haney chest compressions but he didn’t survive.

Campbell, of Missouri City, was ordered held at the Harris County Jail on a $75,000 bond. He has a concealed firearms license and does not appear to have a Harris County arrest record.

Staff writer Julian Gill contributed to this report.