1 of the officers arrives @memorialhermann #Houston #khou11 @KHOU
Two Houston police officers were shot and rushed to the hospital as reports emerged that one of the suspects is on the loose.
Details were still unfolding as the shooting news spread on the afternoon of February 28. The shooting stemmed from a burglary report, and the chief confirmed a suspect is still at large. The Dallas Morning News reported that police told residents to take cover.
The mayor said one of the officers – identified as 24-year police veteran Ronnie Cortez – is in critical condition, although he was able to “exchange words” with his wife at the hospital. The other officer, Jose Munoz, who has been on the force for 10 years, is not in life threatening condition, the mayor said.
Watch live coverage here:
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Police Chief & Mayor Requested Prayers for the Officers
Houston police confirmed the officers had been shot, and the mayor said one of the officers was shot multiple times. The officer in less serious condition was shot in the foot, according to the Houston mayor.
Officer involved shooting. Two officers injured and being transported to the hospital. 8714 Sterlingame. CCU4
The mayor, Sylvester Turner, asked in a news conference for prayers for the family and the officer in critical condition. He said that both officers are married.
Houston police Chief Art Acevedo asked people of faith to pray for the officers.
On way to officer involved shooting if you’re a person of faith please pray for our officers.
The mayor said that one suspect is dead and one or two others are “still on the run.” He said there was a “vigorous search” for the remaining suspect or suspects.
2. Videos & Photos Showed the Ambulances Carrying the Officers Rushing to the Hospital
Houston police officers injured in shooting t.co/P9miZzpmbW via @HoustonChron
The officers were rushed to different hospitals, according to Houston Police.
One officer is being taken to Ben Taub and one officer is being taken to Memorial Hermann #hounews
According to the Houston Chronicle, the officers were taken to hospitals that handle serious trauma incidents.
Officers were “combing” the neighborhood looking for the suspect or suspects, reported the newspaper.
3. The Chief Confirmed That One Suspect Remains at Large After Active Shooter Reports
@houstonpolice praying for your officers that were shot today.
The police chief tweeted that there was more than one suspect, and one remained at large. He urged people to take shelter and avoid the area in southwest Houston where the scene was unfolding.
One suspect is outstanding please shelter in place if you’re residing in the area & avoid the area if you don’t.
“One suspect is outstanding please shelter in place if you’re residing in the area & avoid the area if you don’t,” the chief wrote on Twitter. The officer in critical condition has a bullet lodged by his spine, according to the mayor.
HPD telling residents near 8700 Sterlinggame to take cover warning of “active shooter scene”, 2 officers injured #khou11
According to KHOU-TV, Houston police “say there is a possible active shooter situation in southwest Houston where two police officers were injured earlier.” The incident was unfolding in southwest Houston. It does not appear there is an active shooter in the sense of someone running around actively shooting people at this time, but a manhunt has been launched for the shooter or shooters not yet captured.
4. The Officers Were Responding to a Burglary Call
.@SylvesterTurner: Pray for both officers. Please pray for the @houstonpolice officer in critical condition. t.co/DnMNFqtYQe
According to the Houston Chronicle, the wounded officers were responding to a burglary call in a residential area.
The Chronicle quoted an eyewitness as saying “a Houston police officer who lives in the neighborhood was investigating a possible burglary in the area.” The man told the newspaper “he was watching as the officer encountered a suspect and was shot” and said there had been a rash of burglaries in the area recently.
The mayor said in a news conference that the suspects had “several guns in their possession” from a previous burglary. He said the police department “got a call that a burglary was in progress. They were responding to that.” The suspects were still in the vicinity, and the police were looking for the suspects. “Shooting occurred and two police officers were hit,” the mayor said. “One multiple times.”
The mayor said the shooting happened in the area, but not inside the home the suspects had burglarized.
5. Texas Was Rocked Last Summer With a Horrific Mass Shooting of Police Officers
Photos of the victims of the Dallas police shooting were on display in the hall. The officers were Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, and Michael Smith. (Getty)
In summer 2016, the state of Texas was left reeling from a mass police shooting in Dallas. Five officers were slain in that shooting, which was a targeted attack against police.