A man accused of an armed robbery at a Dollar General store in Houston, Texas, later crashed his car into a METRO bus and died from his injuries, authorities confirmed.
The sequence of events began when a Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy, while en route to work around 1:16 pm Wednesday, was alerted by a bystander about a robbery at the Dollar General store. According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the suspect had parked his vehicle in front of the store before entering with an Airsoft pistol, which closely resembles a real firearm. The man demanded access to the store’s safe at gunpoint.
The store manager, armed with a gun, shot the suspect one or two times. The wounded suspect fled the scene, re-entered his vehicle, and drove around a block away. Sheriff Gonzalez noted that the suspect appeared to have been bleeding out, based on evidence found inside the vehicle. The suspect’s vehicle then collided with a METRO bus at the intersection of Ella and Airtex Boulevard.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County reported that the bus had six people on board, including the driver. While there were no life-threatening injuries among the passengers, the bus driver was taken to the hospital for evaluation. None of the passengers requested hospitalization.
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased suspect. However, Sheriff Gonzalez revealed that the suspect’s vehicle might have been involved in another incident in the same area two days before this event. Investigations into this connection are ongoing.
The area where the incident occurred is known to be a high-crime zone. Sheriff Gonzalez remarked that it’s not a place where people can let their guard down. He mentioned that there are numerous great businesses and wonderful residents in the area, and the incident does not reflect the general community.
Regarding potential charges against the store manager who shot the suspect, Sheriff Gonzalez said that he couldn’t speak for the investigators or prosecutors, but he anticipates the case will be referred to the grand jury. He suggested that the manager’s actions were likely in self-defense during an armed robbery.
