By Police1 Staff
HOUSTON — Video captured by a witness shows the moments leading up to a Texas deputy fatally shooting a man who advanced on him and ignored commands to stop.
The Houston PD said 34-year-old Danny Ray Thomas was walking around Thursday “with his pants around his ankles” and was “talking to himself and hitting vehicles as they passed by,” the Houston Chronicle reports. Police said when Thomas struck a white vehicle, a driver stopped and “engaged in a physical altercation with the suspect.”
The unidentified Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy witnessed the altercation and broke it up, according to the Associated Press. The deputy is seen walking backward away from Thomas and ordering the suspect to get down.
As Thomas ignored commands and continued to approach the deputy, a gunshot can be heard. The actual shooting was not captured on video due to a car passing in front of the witness’ camera.
Police said the deputy feared for his safety and struck Thomas once in the chest, killing him. A spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Thomas had an object in his hand, but no weapon was recovered.
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The Houston PD will investigate the shooting since it happened in city limits.
On Sunday, the ACLU of Texas called on the sheriff’s department to release any dash cam and body cam footage and for the department to review its UOF policies to “demand lethal force only be used as a last resort.”
Officials said the public should reserve judgement until the investigation is completed, KHOU reports.
“Whenever an officer-involved shooting happens in the city limits, regardless of the agency, HPD is going to go out and investigate that case,” said Houston Police Officers Union president Joe Gamaldi.
Gamaldi added that although Thomas may not have been armed, that doesn’t mean the deputy didn’t feel he was in danger.
Thomas had an extensive criminal history that dates back nearly two decades, which includes arrests for burglary, theft and drug possession.