3 Houston officers in stable condition after being shot; suspect in custody

HOUSTON — Three police officers in Houston were shot Thursday afternoon during a possible chase, authorities said.

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In a tweet, the Houston Police Department said a suspect fled the Midtown area of the city in a white Mercedes. Authorities are actively searching the area for the suspect.

Update 9:45 p.m. EST Jan. 27: The man accused of shooting three Houston police officers is now in custody after a standoff, KTRK-TV reported.

Roland Caballero was identified as the man who opened fire on the officers following a chase, the television station reported. He had a gunshot wound to his neck when he was taken into custody, KHOU-TV reported. It is unknown if the wound was self-inflicted or if he was struck by officers’ gunfire.

Updated 5:39 p.m. EST Jan. 27: In a tweet, the Houston Police Department said the three injured officers were in stable condition at an area hospital. The suspect was identified as Roland Caballero, KTRK-TV reported.

Original report: The shooting occurred at about 3:30 p.m. CST, KHOU-TV reported.

According to authorities, the vehicle police were chasing crashed into a fence on the edge of downtown,the television station reported. Surveillance video showed officers jumping from a patrol car and exchanging what sounded like gunfire.

It is unclear what led to the shooting, KTRK-TV reported. The condition of the officers is also unknown, the television station reported.

People working in businesses in the midtown area have been asked to remain inside their buildings, KRPC-TV reported.

Doug Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, told the Houston Chronicle that he spoke with two of the wounded officers at the scene. One was shot in the leg, another in the arm, Griffith said.

“Their car is shot to (expletive),” Griffth told the newspaper. “How they made it out of there without being more severely injured is amazing.”

Griffith added that the officers were trying to arrest a man who had allegedly shot up his girlfriend’s house, the Chronicle reported.

The shooting comes on the third anniversary of the Harding Street raid, according to the newspaper. In that incident, two homeowners were killed and five officers were injured during an anti-narcotics operation that ended in gunfire.

This is a developing story. Continue to check back for more details.

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