Details emerge in shooting of three deputies

A 19-year-old who saw three deputy constables arrest someone he knew grabbed an AR-15 from the trunk of a friend’s car and opened fire, continuing to shoot after the lawmen were down, Harris County law enforcement officials allege in court documents.

The Oct. 16 shooting outside a Houston sports bar caused the death of Precinct 4 Deputy Constable

Kareem Atkins, police said. Two other deputies were injured, including one who is still hospitalized in critical condition.

Eddie Alberto Miller appeared Tuesday in state Judge Hilary Unger’s courtroom as she upheld a magistrate’s earlier decision to hold him without bond. During the short proceeding, he briefly acknowledged his family in the front row of the gallery.

Miller’s defense attorneys said they plan to ask for a bail amount during a hearing in January, at the start of what they said will likely be a lengthy prosecution.

“This is a capital murder case, so all capital murder cases are difficult,” attorney Mario Madrid said.

Several new details emerged Tuesday from new court documents as well as police and prosecutors who spoke after the court appearance.

Miller was arrested Sunday morning in Richmond while driving with his mother, Houston police Sgt. Gary Rodgers said. He surrendered without incident.

Authorities have likened the October shooting to an ambush, where three deputies working an extra security job at 45 Norte Sports Bar in the 4400 block of North Freeway were shot from behind while they were detaining a possible robbery suspect.

Investigators said they believe Miller came to the bar with a group, including the person the deputies were trying to arrest, according to court documents.

Rodgers on Tuesday declined to elaborate on any relationships between Miller and the men at the bar.

The investigation started with obtaining surveillance footage

and transaction records from the bar — then learning that Miller was with a group of men who reserved a booth there, investigators said.

Police recovered the weapon, an AR-15 rifle, from the scene.

Miller is unemployed, according to court records. He has been charged with capital murder in

Atkins’ death, and he faces attempted capital murder and aggravated assault of a police officer charges in the shootings of the other two deputies. His bail is set at $500,000 for the other cases, involving deputies Darryl Garrett, 28, and Juqaim Barthen, 26.

Garrett could be paralyzed for life, said District Attorney Kim

Ogg. She appeared at the hearing and emphasized the seriousness of the crime, while pleading Houston residents for a safe holiday season.

Prosecutors have not determined whether Miller will actually face the state’s highest sentence, but he is eligible to be prosecuted with the death penalty,

Ogg said.

“To protect the community and to draw a very clear line in the sand for criminals: If you kill a cop in this county, you are likely facing the death penalty, or at a minimum life without parole,” Ogg said.