Houston, TX: Officer fatally shoots knife-wielding man in south Houston

By CINDY GEORGE HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Oct. 10, 2009, 11:00AM
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Del.icio.usDiggTwitterYahoo! Buzz FacebookStumbleUpon A Houston police officer shot and killed a knife-wielding man who fatally stabbed a neighbor and injured his girlfriend Friday night.
Officers responded to an assault with weapons call around 11:40 p.m. at the Cobblestone Apartments in the 8400 block of Winkler Drive.
“As officers arrived, they saw the male suspect stabbing a female victim on the second-floor landing,” Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith said.
When they got upstairs, officers observed the man stabbing another male who attempted to intervene and rescue the 42-year-old woman. The injured man, a neighbor, collapsed.
Two officers, one identified as Officer M. Marin, drew their weapons and ordered the suspect to drop the knife.
“The suspect failed to comply and instead raised the knife to stab the male again,” Smith said, “That’s when Officer Marin fired two shots — striking the suspect in the arm.”
Wounded, the man with the knife lunged toward Marin.
“The officer, fearing for his life, fired a third round — striking the suspect in the head,” Smith said.
The man with the knife and his neighbor were both pronounced dead at the southeast Houston complex, Smith said. Police have not released their identities pending verification from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was transported to Ben Taub General Hospital with multiple stab wounds. Smith said she is in stable condition and is expected to survive.
Marin, who joined the force two years ago and works in the traffic enforcement division, will be placed on the standard three days of administrative duty, Smith said.
According to city records, a Matthew Jacob Marin joined the police department in 2007.
The incident will be investigated by the HPD homicide division, HPD internal affairs and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, which is customary for all officer-involved shootings.