Two Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constables were shot and a suspect was taken into custody following an hours-long standoff in the Houston area that began with a report of a man firing a gun at an apartment complex, according to investigators. The confrontation, which authorities have described as a horrific ambush attack, left both deputies wounded but, officials say, neither suffered life-threatening injuries.
Investigators say deputies responded just before 10 p.m. on Friday to reports of a man firing a gun at an apartment complex near Woodland Hills and Balmoral Bay Drive. What began as a call about shots fired quickly escalated once deputies arrived at the scene.
According to authorities, the suspect exchanged gunfire with the deputies, striking them several times before running into a nearby apartment. His retreat into the unit set off a standoff that stretched on for hours as additional resources were brought in to surround the building.
One of the wounded deputies was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery overnight. Officials say the operation was successful and that the deputy is now expected to make a full recovery, a relief for a department that had braced for a far worse outcome.
A second deputy was also struck by gunfire during the confrontation, but the injuries were less serious. That deputy was treated and released and is expected to recover.
The standoff eventually ended with the suspect taken into custody. Authorities say he was apprehended with a dog bite to his leg and was taken to a hospital for treatment before being processed on charges.
Once he is released from the hospital, the suspect is expected to be charged with aggravated assault on a police officer and booked into the Harris County jail. Authorities had not released further information about what led the man to open fire at the apartment complex.
Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman identified one of the wounded deputies as Dante Zapata and shared a photo taken with the deputy's family, as the constable's office and the wider law-enforcement community rallied around the two injured deputies in the aftermath of what was described as an ambush.