Houston officer shot responding to home invasion call; 3 arrested: Police

Three people have been taken into custody after an officer was shot Tuesday morning during a home invasion in Houston.

Authorities with the Houston Police Department said Raymond Perez, 35, was the shooter and has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and unlawful carrying of a weapon in the 230th State District Court.

Michael Perez, 38, and Brian A. Garcia Chavez, 18, were charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, police said in a news release.

Houston Police Department Chief J. Noe Diaz spoke at a press conference Tuesday to give community members the rundown on what happened.

A neighbor called 911 around 9:40 a.m. about two young men who knocked on a door across the street and “rushed the homeowner” when she answered the door, Diaz said.

Two patrolmen from the Houston Police Department responded to the scene in under four minutes, Diaz said. The door was open when the patrolmen arrived, Diaz said. They walked through the home and found the homeowner and a small child in the living room.

While one officer arrested Michael Perez, who was in a back bedroom inside the home, another suspect, Raymond Perez, shot at the other patrolman, hitting him in the leg, Diaz said at the press conference.

The officer shot back at the suspect once but the suspect was not hit, police later announced.

Raymond Perez, the shooter, was arrested about a block away from the home, Diaz said.

The third suspect, Brian A. Garcia Chavez, was waiting in a vehicle and fled the scene. He was later taken into custody just after 4 p.m. that day, the department said on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

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Officer shot set to make a full recovery

Calling the ordeal “incredible police work,” Diaz said the second officer helped Officer S. Durfee, who was shot, apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. He was eventually taken to the hospital for treatment. He has been released from the hospital and should fully recover.

The department said the injured officer was sworn in eight years ago, in January 2016. His partner who helped stop the bleeding has been an officer for about 12 years, Diaz said.

Diaz also said victim services were helping the homeowner and the child.

Police chief thanks ‘vigilant’ neighbor

While at the press conference, Chief Diaz thanked the neighbor who called for help.

Adding that the neighbor thought the suspects knocking on the door and going inside was “odd,” Diaz said the neighbor “saved the day.”

“Being neighbors and caring for each other saved the day,” he said, later calling the neighbor “vigilant.”

Houston Mayor John Whitmire shared a post on Facebook about the situation, adding that he considers first responders "brave."

"Your dedication and sacrifice do not go unnoticed," he wrote.

The Houston Police Department's Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the case.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].