Police seek a motive in Houston cop attack

HOUSTON — The man charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of a uniformed suburban Houston sheriff’s deputy had a lengthy criminal record going back a decade, but never spent more than short stints in jail.

Shannon J. Miles, whose criminal record includes convictions for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct with a firearm, was to be arraigned today in the shooting of Deputy Darren Goforth, a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Mr. Miles’ arrest Saturday came less than 24 hours after authorities said he ambushed Deputy Goforth at a suburban Houston Chevron station.

Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman said the attack was “clearly unprovoked,” and there is no evidence that Deputy Goforth knew Mr. Miles. Investigators have no information from Mr. Miles that would shed light on his motive, Sheriff Hickman said.

“Our assumption is that [Deputy Goforth] was a target because he wore a uniform,” the sheriff said.

Mr. Miles’ criminal record begins in 2005, when he was convicted of criminal mischief, giving false information to police and resisting arrest, according to records. In 2006, he was convicted of disorderly conduct with a firearm and sentenced to a maximum of 15 days in jail. He was convicted of evading arrest in 2007, and his most recent conviction came in 2009 for again resisting arrest.

Records show that the 30year-old Houston resident was sentenced to several short stints in jail, anywhere from 10 to 6 days.

Court and jail records did not list an attorney for Mr. Miles and attempts to reach his family members on Sunday were unsuccessful.

Deputy Goforth, 47, was pumping gas at a Chevron station Friday night in Cypress, a middle- to uppermiddle-class suburban area of Harris County located northwest of Houston, when the gunman approached him from behind and fired multiple shots, continuing to fire after the deputy had fallen to the ground.

The killing evoked strong emotions in the local law enforcement community, with Sheriff Hickman linking it to heightened tension over the treatment of African-Americans by police. Deputy Goforth was white, and Mr. Miles is black.

Sheriff Hickman and Devon Anderson, Harris County district attorney, pushed back against the criticism of police.

“We’ve heard Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter. Well, cops’ lives matter, too,” Sheriff Hickman said Saturday.