Houston man faces multiple criminal charges after shootout with police | Texas

Houston, TX — Robert Johnson, a 30-year-old Houston resident, was arrested and charged with several felonies following an incident in which officers discharged their weapons. The event took place on the West Sam Houston Parkway South service road, also known as Beltway 8, around 7:20 a.m. on Wednesday, May 22.

Johnson faces four criminal charges in the 183rd State District Court, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to deliver marijuana. A fifth charge, misdemeanor evading on foot, was also filed in Harris County Criminal Court No. 13.

The incident began when officers with the HPD Traffic Enforcement Division, assigned to the Traffic Interdiction Unit, located a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase a few days earlier. The pursuit was halted due to the risk to public safety. Officers obtained a warrant to seize the vehicle and located it at an apartment complex on Wednesday, May 22.

After informing Johnson that his vehicle was impounded, he got out of the car, removed his 5-year-old daughter from the front passenger seat and began walking around the center console, ignoring officers’ commands to stop.

The situation escalated when Johnson abruptly turned around, rushed towards Sergeant M. Ham and knocked him to the ground. During the struggle, Ham’s service weapon discharged, but no one was hit. Officer M. Gonzalez, fearing that Ham had been shot, discharged his service weapon at Johnson, who was not hit and fled the scene on foot.

Johnson was later apprehended after allegedly robbing a woman at gunpoint. He was located with the assistance of an HPD Air Support helicopter and taken into custody without further incident.

HPD’s Special Investigations Unit and Internal Affairs Division are investigating the case, as is customary in shooting incidents involving HPD officers within Houston city limits.