“While officers were there, somebody from the crowd discharged a firearm. That discharge spooked the crowd, and everybody started running,” HPD said.
HOUSTON — An investigation is underway after a gun was fired while officers were trying to break up a large crowd in a parking lot along the North Freeway Saturday night, according to the Houston Police Department.
HPD Lt. Ali said officers were called to the scene along the North Freeway and Fallbrook Drive around 11 p.m.
“Once officers arrived to the location, they found approximately 500 people in the parking lot and about another 500 inside of an establishment,” Ali said. “While officers were there, somebody from the crowd discharged a firearm. That discharge spooked the crowd, and everybody started running in all kinds of directions.”
Ali said that, fortunately, there wasn’t a stampede effect, and no secondary injuries were reported in the panic.
HPD called in help from the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office, as well as the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, to shut down the gathering.
In the commotion, police said one officer was assaulted, but did not sustain any injuries.
HPD said they did not yet know whether the gunfire was intentional or not, or whether anyone was hurt by the gunfire.
Multiple people were detained at the scene, but it’s unclear if any arrests were made.
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