A Houston Police officer managed to stop a suspect who was aiming a replica firearm at people outside of a gas station Saturday night.
Surveillance footage shows 26-year-old Leanda Jaroy Davis emerging from the shadows near a Gulf Service station with what appeared to a firearm.
Meandering in a confused manner and flailing the pistol about, Davis pointed the suspected weapon at at least one person as he made his way towards the gas station entrance.
According to the Houston Chronicle, five-year HPD veteran Officer W. Stolis saw Davis as he was passing the station and made a u-turn, parking his vehicle and dismounting to intercept Davis.
The 26-year-old convicted felon was wearing headphones when he was given orders to drop the weapon, and appeared to be startled when he turned around and saw Officer Stolis.
With Davis waving his replica gun about in a menacing fashion, Officer Stolis fired multiple shots in self defense. Although he missed the suspect entirely, the act was enough for Davis to drop his weapon and get on the ground.
Davis -who has a lengthy public criminal record and is a suspected gang member- was believed to have been on his way to rob the Gulf station.
“At this time we’re going to assume that he was going in the store to try to rob it,” said HPD Assistant Chief Pedro Lopez, Jr. “But that’s just an assumption – we still have to complete the investigation.”
The following afternoon, the Houston Police revealed that the firearm Davis was wielding was only a replica.
Davis has since been charged with making a terroristic threat.
As with all HPD officer-involved shootings within city limits, the case is being investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
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