Shooting results in chase, wreck, arrests
Officers believe drug dispute sparked incident
An apparent drug deal sparked a shooting early Tuesday in the Heights that led to a police chase before sending one man to the hospital and netting five arrests.
Officers headed to the 1300 block of Studewood around 2:45 a.m. after hearing reports of gunshots in the area, said John Cannon, spokesman for the Houston Police Department.
While en route, the officers spotted a car with bullet holes in its windshield, speeding away from the scene on Studewood. They signaled for the driver of the car to pull over. He refused and led police on a 3-mile chase to the 5500 block of Cochran, near the Loop 610 and Hardy Toll Road intersection.
The chase ended when the driver lost control of his car and drove it into a drainage ditch.
Arrests after chase
Three passengers climbed out of the vehicle, and police arrested one immediately. The two others fled on foot and officers captured them with the help of a canine unit.
As the police chase was underway, another patrol unit headed to the 1300 block of Studewood, where witnesses initially reported gunfire, Cannon said.
There, police found a man injured from multiple gunshot wounds near a white pick-up truck. Bullets had pierced the vehicle on the passenger side of the car and near the rear bumper.
The wounded man was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Police do not believe his injuries are life-threatening.
2 arrested after wreck
Meanwhile, Harris County Precinct 1 deputy constables were responding to a two-car crash on Airline and Loop 610 — less than two miles from the shot-up pickup truck on Studewood — when they found yet another bullet-riddled vehicle with two people inside.
Deputies took the pair into custody before turning them over to Houston police. One had been wounded by gunfire, according to Precinct 1 spokesman Alan Bernstein. His condition was not clear as of Tuesday evening.
A witness at the scene reported that one of the suspects had run around the corner with a rifle before returning to the shot-up vehicle. A deputy searched the area and recovered a weapon, which was also turned over to Houston police.
Based on preliminary information, police believe a drug deal could have spurred the gunshots and ensuing chaos, Houston police Lt. Larry Crowson told reporters at the scene.
As of early Tuesday evening, all three men in the crashed car were set to be charged with evading arrest. One was also expected to face a drug charge, although police did not specify what substance. It was not immediately clear whether the suspects picked up by Precinct 1 would face any charges.