Charges have been filed against a suspect who fired shots at Houston police officers and was wounded by an officer at 722 Country Place Drive about 7:40 a.m. on Saturday (May 4).
The suspect, Jesus Pedraza, 32, is charged with three counts of aggravated assault against a public servant in the 184th State District Court. Pedraza sustained gunshot wounds and was treated at an area hospital. He was then taken and booked into jail. A booking photo of Pedraza is attached to this news release.
No officers were injured in the shooting. Officer F. Sifuentes discharged his duty weapon in the incident. He was sworn in as an officer in August 2016 and is assigned to the Westside Patrol Division.
HPD Special Investigations Unit Sergeant D. Lane and Detectives N. Arellano, J. Montalvo and W. Elliott reported:
Officers were dispatched to a suspicious person with a weapon call at the residence at the above address. While en route, the officers were given the description and location of the suspect and notified that he had possibly fired a handgun outside his residence. Upon arriving on scene, the officers observed the suspect sitting in a lawn chair outside an open garage. When initial contact was made, the officers observed the suspect to be wearing what appeared to be a bullet proof vest and a gun belt. As the officers attempted to talk with the suspect, he retreated into the open garage and un-holstered a gun. He then pointed the gun in the direction of Officer Sifuentes, who then discharged his duty weapon toward the suspect, striking him. The suspect continued to retreat toward the interior of his residence after an unknown female opened the door leading from the garage into the residence. As the suspect retreated into the residence, he discharged his gun multiple times towards the officers, but none of them was struck.
After the suspect retreated into the residence, officers set up a perimeter around the exterior and phone contact was made with the suspect and his mother, who were inside the residence. The suspect’s mother agreed to open the front door of the residence and place the suspect’s gun outside on the front porch. She then left the door open, and officers were able to take the suspect into custody without further incident. The suspect was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. He was then taken to the Joint Processing Center and Harris County Jail.
As is customary in HPD officer-involved shooting incidents, the case is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Jesus Pedraza
JFC/SOA 5-6-24
Inc #063986224