KINGWOOD, Texas – Just after 9 p.m. on Monday, a San Jacinto County deputy transported an inmate to Kingwood Hospital for injuries he had sustained prior to that day. While the deputy, who had been on the job for nearly five months, was sitting in an exam room in the emergency department, the inmate attempted to seize the deputy’s weapon. A struggle ensued, during which the deputy shot the inmate. Emergency room personnel immediately began CPR and provided medical treatment, but the inmate succumbed to his injuries. The deputy was not injured.
The inmate had been taken to the hospital for injuries he sustained just before his arrest the previous day. In that incident, he had assaulted his wife, placed her in a chokehold, and used his father’s truck to ram her vehicle while their two children were inside. When his father attempted to intervene, the inmate assaulted him as well. He was being held on 13 charges.
Ironically, the inmate was shot and killed in the same hospital where his wife was receiving treatment for her injuries. Although he had been in custody, hospital staff contacted his sister to notify her of his death. When she arrived at the hospital, security informed her that she would be arrested if she did not leave the property.
Several media outlets also arrived at the scene, but hospital security requested that police arrest them for criminal trespass, including on the TXDOT easement adjacent to the hospital property.
The shooting is being investigated by multiple agencies, including the Houston Police Department, as the hospital is within Houston city limits; the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, as the hospital is located in Montgomery County; the Texas Rangers; and San Jacinto County, since the deputy involved was from their department. Additionally, Montgomery County Sheriff Wesley Doolittle responded to the scene to offer resources to Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz as needed.
“The deputy who was watching him tonight was inside the room with the prisoner,” he explained. “An altercation ensued inside the room. There was a scuffle for the deputy’s gun, at which point the deputy was able to discharge his weapon a few times–striking the prisoner. Being at the hospital, aid was rendered immediately by personnel here, and unfortunately, that individual succumbed to his injuries and died.” Officials described the deputy as having 5 months with the San Jacinto Co. Sheriff’s Office and the department is conducting an administrative investigation into what happened. However, since the incident occurred in Houston, HPD’s Homicide Division is taking the lead with the Texas Rangers to figure out everything and present what they’ve gathered to the Montgomery Co. District Attorney’s Office.
