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Nine Houston Officers Fire at Driver in Highland Village Standoff

A multiagency review of video and ballistics will determine whether officers' use of force was justified.

Overview

  • Houston police say nine officers fired at a vehicle after officers believed the driver made a shooting motion during a coordinated approach to the parked car.
  • The driver, identified as 30-year-old Jamarcus Oneal Spates, was grazed by a bullet, taken to a hospital and later arrested and charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
  • Investigators tied the car to a Fort Bend County domestic-assault case in which a vehicle was reported stolen from the suspect's mother.
  • ABC13 obtained witness video and accounts describing multiple shots and a chaotic scene, but authorities have not confirmed whether the driver was armed or whether the domestic case and the shooting involve the same person.
  • HPD's Special Investigations Unit, Internal Affairs and the Harris County district attorney are reviewing evidence and their findings will shape any criminal charges and policy responses to the use of force.