An inmate was shot and killed in a battle over the gun of a deputy assigned to watch him at a Texas hospital, according to authorities.
According to a news release from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the event occurred on Monday, February 24, at Kingwood Hospital in northeast Houston. The hospital shooting involved a San Jacinto County deputy, yet it happened near the Montgomery County line.
“The suspect, who was an inmate in the custody of San Jacinto County, is deceased, and there is no ongoing threat to the public,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities have not officially identified the convict, and it is unclear what offenses prompted his detention or why he was hospitalized, according to KPRC. However, at approximately 9 p.m., bullets were fired inside the inmate’s hospital room, according to the Houston Police Department.
Sherree Brooks, the inmate’s sister, arrived at the hospital after the shooting and told KTRK that she knows little more about what happened than what authorities have previously provided to news outlets.
“The deputy who was watching him tonight was inside the room with the prisoner,” HPD Cpt. Chris Hassig told the station. “An altercation ensued inside the room. There was a scuffle for the deputy’s gun, at which point the deputy was able to discharge his weapon a few times — striking the prisoner. Being at the hospital, aid was rendered immediately by personnel here, and unfortunately, that individual succumbed to his injuries and died.”
“An incident happened yesterday which left him in custody with San Jacinto County, and we had no idea they brought him here to this hospital,” Brooks told KTRK. “But since he’s been in this hospital … he said everything was going good when we called, and then next thing, about 10 o’clock, we got a phone call saying that he had been shot.”
Police told the site that the deputy involved in the shooting had been with the San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office for five months.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office announced that it is aiding the Houston Police Department, which is in charge of the investigation.
