Shooting within police station

[GalvestonDuck]

A Houston Police Department homicide investigator sustained a gunshot wound while sitting alone in his cubicle on the sixth floor of the building. He has been transported to the hospital. Condition not reported. Status of assailant not reported. Shooting happened while a press conference (regarding crime lab problems) was going on in another area of the building. Unclear now if shooter was another individual or the investigator himself.

[JCT777]

I always knew police work was dangerous, but one would not expect to be shot at his desk.

[GalvestonDuck]

They just played a soundbite from one of the HPD spokesman on the radio. He said, "I did NOT say it was self-inflicted. I did NOT say who the shooter was."

I find it hard to believe they aren't in lockdown or something if a shooter is on the loose. I'm afraid this looks an awful lot like a suicide or accidental self-inflicted wound.

From click2houston.com:

Police Officer Shot At HPD Headquarters

POSTED: 4:06 p.m. CST October 29, 2003
UPDATED: 4:21 p.m. CST October 29, 2003

HOUSTON -- A Houston police officer was shot inside the Houston Police Department headquarters Wednesday afternoon, officials told News2Houston.

The officer was reportedly shot around 3:45 p.m. while on the sixth floor of the building at 1200 Travis at Dallas in downtown Houston. The officer is part of the homicide division, and was shot while at his desk, officials said. No suspects were in the area, officials said. Police are not releasing details of how the shooting occurred or if it was self-inflicted.

A news conference regarding the HPD crime lab was being held on the first floor of the building at the time. The police chief was immediately called out of the news conference.

Traffic in the area was blocked to make way for emergency vehicles.

The injured officer was taken to Ben Taub Hospital for treatment. His condition is not yet known.

[GalvestonDuck]

Oct. 29, 2003, 4:53PM

Officer shot in HPD headquarters
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Officer being transported to hospital.

A Houston police homicide detective is at Ben Taub Hospital this afternoon after a shooting in the homicide division on the 6th floor of the police headquarters building at 1200 Travis downtown.

Sources say the detective, who has not yet been identified, shot himself in the head while sitting alone in his cubicle. He was found lying on the floor of the cubicle.

Police spokesman Robert Hurst said other detectives were on the 6th floor at the time of the shooting, but none were in the area of the detective's cubicle. The shooting happened just before 4 p.m., just minutes after Acting Police Chief Joe Breshears had begun an unrelated news conference on the building's first floor. Breshears was called from the room just after the shooting and returned a couple minutes later to continue the news conference.

Police and an ambulance converged on the building minutes later, and emergency dispatchers could be heard planning a route to the hospital and clearing traffic.

Hurst said police had not yet notified the detective's family, and that the department would release updates later this afternoon.

[streetsoldier]

The stresses of the "thin blue line" are staggering; I know of four officers who committed suicide over the last 30 years, none leaving a note or explanation at all.

Think of being REQUIRED to maintain a paranoiac state, 24/7/365, always armed and forever watching all the "solid citizens" for the one who isn't...it wears on ya.

[stormchazer]

Tough work...divorce is another big statistics for those in blue.

[GalvestonDuck]

They just had another press conference. The investigator's wound was fatal. They only added that he was a 28-year veteran of the force. His immediate family had not been notified yet.

It's sad that it was a suicide. But bittersweet news that it wasn't an outside perpator who managed to bring a gun into a police station.