By St. John Barned-Smith
Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON — A police officer was shot and wounded while foiling an attempted robbery in northeast Houston, police said - just days after another Houston Police officer was shot and wounded while on duty.
The incident occurred around 12:05 p.m. outside a Family Dollar on the corner of Van Zandt and Homestead, Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, identifying the wounded officer as Jason Rhodes.
The 32-year-old officer, assigned to Northeast Patrol, spotted two people about to enter the store with their heads covered, McClelland said.
“It’s pretty apparent from the evidence, more than likely this was going to be a robbery,” he said, explaining that when Officer Rhodes intervened, the pair fled on foot.
One of the individuals shot at him, hitting Rhodes in his left arm, McClelland said. Rhodes, a married, five-year department veteran whose wife is expecting their second child, was rushed to Memorial Hermann Hospital before being treated and released later Tuesday afternoon.
“He’s in very good condition,” McClelland said. “We expect him to make a full recovery.”
The shooting came just days after a 45-year-old Houston police officer was shot and wounded serving a search warrant in the Third Ward, and was at least the sixth in Texas since authorities began tracking that information last September.
“These are the dangers that Houston Police officers face on a daily basis every time they get in that uniform,” said Ray Hunt, president of the Houston Police Officers’ Union.
After the shooting, police quickly apprehended one “person of interest,” and then spent several hours searching for the shooter. HPD spokesman Kese Smith said a second individual had been detained but did not provide additional information.
“Law enforcement has been criticized over the years, especially recently, over their behavior, but we’ve got to remember these men and women keep their community safe every single day and night,” McClelland said, praising Rhodes for his quick thinking.
Copyright 2016 the Houston Chronicle