Houston police arrested a man after a dangerous chase near a middle school, police said.
HOUSTON — A 54-year-old man wearing body armor and carrying a rifle led Houston police on a dangerous chase near Audrey Law Middle School last month, according to police, with newly released dashcam and bodycam footage showing officers firing their weapons before taking the suspect into custody.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 7, in the mid-afternoon near Orem and Stancliff when Houston Police Department say officers approached a white Cadillac Escalade driven by Walter Howard. The chase happened approximately two hours before school dismissal.
Police say they had encountered Howard and his vehicle earlier while working undercover with the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. Officers were originally looking for someone else but observed Howard leave his home wearing body armor and a tactical helmet after a verbal confrontation with undercover officers.
When officers approached Howard’s pulled-over vehicle for what appeared to be a routine traffic stop, bodycam footage shows an officer saying, “It’s a traffic stop. Roll down your windows for me please.” However, Howard immediately fled the scene.
Dashcam video captured the pursuit that followed, showing officers repeatedly attempting to use PIT maneuvers to stop Howard’s SUV. The footage shows Howard narrowly avoiding another vehicle right outside Audrey Law Middle School during the chase.
The situation escalated when officers’ cameras captured a rifle pointed from the window of Howard’s SUV. Within a minute, gunfire erupted as officers closed in on the vehicle.
“Shots fired, shots fired,” officers can be heard saying in the footage.
Police commanders reported that four officers fired their weapons as Howard sped away before eventually crashing into a ditch. Officers then took him into custody, with footage showing commands of “Take your vest off!”
Howard was struck during the exchange, but police say the body armor he was wearing, along with his rifle, may have prevented further injuries.
The Houston Police Department released bodycam and dashcam video Friday. The video may contain offensive language and upsetting images. The video was available on YouTube.
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz explained the officers’ rationale at the time, stating they had concerns about the situation’s proximity to schools.
“We have nearby schools, we’re behind a school now, Lawson middle school. We can’t take anything for granted,” Diaz said.
Walter Howard remains in custody facing multiple charges related to the incident. Police officials said the situation could have ended far worse given its location near the middle school.
Howard is scheduled to appear in court next week.