By Kevin Moran and Mike Glenn
The Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON — A man shot by a police officer after a struggle in southeast Houston has been identified as Tarrance Alvin Brown, 30, Houston police said today.
Brown, whose record includes a number of drug convictions and other offenses, died in the 8500 block of Broadway early Wednesday after officers who pursued and struggled with him said they thought he was pulling a pistol from his pants, police said.
Harris County medical examiner’s investigators at the scene found plastic bags of suspected drugs, but no weapon on the man’s body, HPD homicide investigators said in a statement today.
A resident of the apartment complex where Brown died told investigators that two men went through Brown’s pockets and fled before pursuing officers arrived.
After being wounded, Brown had fled from one apartment complex, running across Broadway before collapsing and dying on an interior walkway of another complex.
Police searched the area for a gun but found none.
Brown has a string of drug and other misdemeanor arrests dating back to 1997, according to Harris County court records.
In his most recent disposition, he was sentenced in March 2006 to seven months in a state jail for felony drug trafficking, according to records.
The shooting occurred after members of an HPD drug enforcement team intervened in a suspected drug deal and Brown fled on a bicycle, police said. Officers found him again at about 6 a.m. in a parking area of the Pebblewalk Apartments.
Patrols in that neighborhood, north of Hobby Airport, have been increased lately because of drug activity and other crime, police said.
Brown abandoned his bicycle and ran farther into the complex before the officers caught up and struggled with him, police said.
The officers could not control the man, who Capt. Bruce Williams said “overpowered them.”
Officer Hans Wagner Jr., a six-year HPD veteran, fired his Taser at the man “with limited effect,” the captain said. Wagner and two other officers struggled with him as he pulled the Taser darts out.
Police said today that after he was shocked, Brown began walking away and said “You’re going to have to kill me.”
Brown refused commands to surrender and again reached into his pants, police said. As he began to pull his hand out, Officer Shane Nash fired two shots, homicide investigators said today.
Williams said Wednesday that Wagner saw what he thought was a pistol and yelled “Gun!” before Nash fired.
Nash joined the force in January 2007, police officials said.
Wagner suffered a broken finger in the struggle, but no other officers were injured, Williams said.
Copyright 2008 The Houston Chronicle