Suspect Arrested, Charged in Shooting Incident at 14000 Buxley Street

Charges have been filed against an armed suspect arrested in a shooting incident in which HPD officers discharged their duty weapons in the 14000 block of Buxley Street about 2 p.m. on Wednesday (May 7).
The suspect, Walter L. Howard, 54, is charged with four counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer and one count of evading arrest with a vehicle in the 183rd State District Court. A booking photo of Howard is attached to this news release.
Four HPD officers discharged their duty weapons. Officers M. Gessner, K. Khalid, K. Acevedo and J. Joseph, assigned to the Southwest Patrol Division, were sworn in as officers in July 2019, July 2019, December 2018, and May 2020 respectively. None of the officers were injured in this incident.
HPD Special Investigations Unit Detectives M. Estep and V. Lewis reported:
HPD officers with the Southwest Patrol Divisions’ Crime Suppression Team were conducting an unrelated investigation with the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. Officers were acting in an undercover capacity when they observed the suspect approach their vehicles.  The suspect then returned to his residence and exited a short time later wearing body armor, a tactical helmet and carrying a long case, consistent with a rifle case.
The suspect then got in his vehicle and drove towards the undercover officers. The suspect challenged the officers as to why they were in his neighborhood and then drove away. The neighborhood is close to a school and, out of caution, officers requested marked patrol units to approach the suspect’s vehicle.
Uniformed officers in marked patrol units with lights and sirens initiated a traffic stop in the 13900 block of Stancliff Street. The suspect stopped, spoke briefly with officers, and then fled.  Officers pursued the suspect and attempted a P.I.T (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver, but were unsuccessful.
As officers tried to do a second P.I.T. maneuver, the suspect leaned out the driver’s side window and pointed his rifle at officers. The pursuit then continued until the suspect came to a brief stop in the 14000 block of Buxley Street, leaned out of the driver’s side window a second time and pointed his rifle at officers. Fearing for their safety and the safety of those around them, including a nearby school, officers discharged their weapons, striking the suspect at least once. The suspect got back in his vehicle and continued to evade before crashing into a ditch a short distance away.
Officers took the suspect into custody and performed first aid. Paramedics transported the suspect, identified as Howard, to an area hospital where he was treated and released. He was subsequently charged and booking into the Harris County Jail.
As is customary in HPD officer-involved shooting incidents in the city limits, this incident is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Walter L. Howard
SOA/JKS     5-8-25
Inc. #059236425