Undercover officers performing surveillance for a narcotics investigation were shot at by someone unrelated to the case, the Houston Police Department said on Tuesday.
No one was injured, but one person was detained after the shots were fired in the 3200 block of Wayne Street, off Collingsworth, in the Greater Fifth Ward. According to HPD, the incident unfolded at about 12:50 p.m.
Assistant Chief Jessica Anderson told reporters that two officers were inside an unmarked police vehicle when they took on gunfire. She added that the suspect emerged from a nearby home, saw the car, went back inside, and came back out with a firearm.
The officers sped away when the shooting happened, taking only three shots to the vehicle, Anderson said. None of the officers were harmed, and no shots were returned by police.
The officers then radioed for backup, which arrived and located the suspect inside a home with several others.
A man, who was not immediately identified, was arrested. Police added that a search of the house led them to a stolen gun and narcotics believed to be marijuana.
In addition, Anderson said it wasn’t immediately known if the suspect recognized the vehicle as a police unit.
The other people at the home cooperated with police, and no other arrests were made, HPD said.
An HPD photo on X, formerly known as Twitter, showed multiple officers on the blocked-off street, some wearing bulletproof vests and helmets and armed with rifles.
HPD Commanders and PIO are at 3200 Wayne where a suspect fired shots at officers during a narcotics investigation about 1 p.m.
No one was struck or injured. No officers discharged their weapons.
Media briefing will be live streamed in 30 to 45 minutes. #HouNews pic.twitter.com/3p2KpkcBZJ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) January 2, 2024