Officer says he shot wife accidentally during alleged break-in
A Houston police officer told authorities he accidentally shot his wife in the face and hand early Monday, telling them that he thought he was shooting someone who was allegedly breaking into their apartment.
But investigators suspected the police officer, who has since been relieved of duty, was lying after finding no evidence of a break-in and then reviewing text messages showing an angry exchange between the couple before the shooting, officials said.
A judge Tuesday set Galib Chowdhury’s bond at $125,000 for one count of aggravated assault of a family member causing significant bodily injury at a preliminary court hearing. During that hearing, prosecutors provided the most detailed look yet of the encounter, according to video of the hearing provided by OnScene reporters.
Nicole DeBorde Hochglaube, Chowdhury’s attorney, was hired late Tuesday and had not reviewed the case. His next court appearance is set for Wednesday.
Chowdhury, 31, who was off duty at the time, called police
Monday morning and said he had shot his wife because she got in the way while he was shooting at someone breaking into their apartment, officials said. His wife declined to provide a statement and told medical staff the shooting had been accidental.
“The officers attempted to gather the complainant’s statement before going into surgery; however, she was not willing to provide a statement once she heard the officers were with the Houston Police Department,” a clerk read during the hearing.
Doctors told the officers that the woman had injuries to her eye, a broken cheekbone, and multiple bone fractures in the right hand and fingers.
She allowed officers to review messages on her cellphone, in
cluding messages Chowdhury allegedly sent her before the shooting, including “Wow, s--- wife” and “I need to know ETA.”
Investigators said the messages were exchanged before Chowdhury arrived home around 11:50 p.m. Sunday. His wife arrived home about 20 minutes later.
At around 12:45 a.m. Monday, police responded to their apartment near the 10300 block of Clay Road. They discovered Chowdhury’s wife, 30, had been shot with an ARstyle rifle.
Emergency responders found no sign the front door had been damaged by an intruder, officials said.
Chowdhury was relieved of duty after the shooting, HPD Chief Troy Finner said at a Monday news conference.
Chowdhury had a little more than two years experience as a police officer, according the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. He had been married for about a year, according to a person familiar with the couple. The person asked for their name to be withheld out of fear of retribution.
The former officer’s personnel file included no public complaints or citations.
“Domestic violence is very serious in our community and also around the nation,” Finner said. “Once you put that patch on and that badge on, you’re a police officer, and I expect you to conduct yourself at all times as a police officer. I’m very troubled on some things that we know now.”