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In Harris County, Texas, questions have arisen regarding the actions of two deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) after a woman was mistakenly identified as a burglar and shot inside her residence on Uvalde Road.
The incident occurred at the Pines of Woodforest Apartments in the Cloverleaf area around 2:10 a.m. Saturday. HCSO reported that deputies had responded to a call about a potential burglary in the vicinity, but no intruder was found.
While deputies were still present, a resident informed that he believed he heard another break-in occurring above him and alerted the deputies to investigate.
According to HCSO, responding deputies observed a broken window and announced their presence. A 28-year-old woman, purportedly holding a firearm, approached them, prompting both deputies to discharge their weapons a total of 17 times.
Shortly afterward, another woman descended the stairs with her hands raised, declaring that she resided in the apartment.
“Don’t shoot. I live here. I live here. I live here,” she can be heard saying in video footage captured at the scene. “This is my home. I live here. Please don’t shoot.”
An anonymous witness informed that they heard numerous gunshots.
“They are standing there and said, ‘This is the police.’ Out of nowhere, I hear them scream something, and they start shooting,” the witness recounted.
The wounded woman sustained multiple gunshot wounds. HCSO clarified that she and her girlfriend were residents of the apartment and not intruders.
Authorities revealed that the women had locked themselves out and had to break the window to gain entry.
The injured woman, struck by seven bullets, intends to seek justice and has enlisted the representation of attorney Ben Crump, known for handling high-profile cases.
“What were the appropriate procedures here?” queried Paul Grinke, Director of Litigation, speaking on behalf of the client. “Certainly, it’s not acceptable to shoot someone in their own home, with their doors closed.”
According to her attorney, the woman, shot seven times, is in stable condition and recovering at home.
“My client says they had locked themselves out, they broke a window to get in,” Grinke explained. “They were in the back room, preparing for bed. While they heard aggressive knocking, they did not hear any identification as police officers.”
Both officers have been placed on administrative leave, a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings, according to HCSO. The case is also being referred to a grand jury, standard in such incidents.
“She was in her own home, in her living room, with a weapon pointed down at the floor, and without any further warning or instruction that, ‘This is the police, we are sheriff’s deputies, drop the gun,’ the officers immediately opened fire through the closed door,” Grinke stated.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that one deputy has been with the agency for four years and the other for one year. Personnel files for the deputies were requested by .
Grinke contends that the deputies acted prematurely and should have assessed the situation before resorting to gunfire.
“Backed up, said, ‘We see there is a broken window, a suspected robbery. There are two of us deputies, let’s call in for more help, let’s surround the building and understand the gravity of the situation. Are there children inside? Are there other innocent people inside?’ Gosh, before we start shooting bullets through a closed door, maybe we make sure there is not a hostage inside,” Grinke emphasized.
As per HCSO policy, body camera footage will be released within 45 days.