A suspect accused of threatening his girlfriend and her children was fatally wounded when he allegedly opened fire at Houston police officers after slamming into a cruiser while trying to flee.
Credit: officer.com
Body camera footage released last week captured a frightening car chase, crash and shootout last month between Houston police and a domestic disturbance suspect, who died from gunshot wounds at the hospital.
The incident happened May 18 when police responded to a call concerning a man accused of threatening his girlfriend and her children while they were all in the her vehicle on Houston’s northeast side, KTRK-TV reports. The suspect—identified as Deven Nnawuchi—then allegedly took off in the woman’s SUV, stranding her and her children.
While police were talking to the woman, Nnawuchi erratically drove back through the neighborhood, and the woman quickly alerted officers, who immediately gave chase. During the pursuit, an officer is caught in body camera footage getting on the radio and warning that Nnawuchi was armed.
“He’s got a gun. Be careful,” the officer said.
Gunshots are then heard, and video from another officer’s body-worn camera captures his cruiser’s airbags deploying and the windshield cracking after Nnawuchi crashed his girlfriend’s SUV into the police vehicle in an attempt to elude officers. Following the collision, the officer exited his cruiser, took cover and began shooting.
Nnawuchi was struck multiple times in the exchange of gunfire. Even after he was wounded, he tried to fight off officers as they began handcuffing him.
Nnawuchi was taken to the hospital, where he eventually died from his injuries. The officer who was in the car Nnawuchi crashed into suffered minor injuries.
The shooting is under investigation.