Off-duty Texas Deputy Fatally Shoots Man Trying to Break into Car with Child Inside
A tragic shooting occurred in Atascocita, Texas, on Friday when an off-duty Harris County deputy opened fire on a man who allegedly tried to break into his car while his young child sat inside. The deputy has not been identified publicly, but he and his child are reportedly safe.
According to officials, the incident took place at around 2:45 p.m. outside the deputy's home after an anonymous tip led law enforcement to the scene. The man, later identified as Darrius Williams, 27, was allegedly trying to gain entry into the car when the off-duty deputy called 911 and reported that someone had a gun on him.
Maj. Ben Katrib said the deputy instructed Williams multiple times to back down, but he ignored the warnings and attempted to open the passenger door of the vehicle while his child was inside. The deputy then opened fire, striking Williams several times before he died at the scene.
First responders provided aid to Williams, but he later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.
In an interview, Williams' mother Tieneeshia described her son as struggling with mental health issues and having a history of run-ins with law enforcement. According to her, Darrius had been released from jail just one night before the incident after being arrested for walking into oncoming traffic.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office have launched separate investigations into the shooting. The DA's office will present its findings to a grand jury once the investigation is complete, which could determine whether charges are filed against the deputy.
As authorities continue to investigate this incident, it remains unclear if Williams had any concealed weapons at the time of the alleged intrusion or how many times he was shot by the off-duty deputy.
A tragic shooting occurred in Atascocita, Texas, on Friday when an off-duty Harris County deputy opened fire on a man who allegedly tried to break into his car while his young child sat inside. The deputy has not been identified publicly, but he and his child are reportedly safe.
According to officials, the incident took place at around 2:45 p.m. outside the deputy's home after an anonymous tip led law enforcement to the scene. The man, later identified as Darrius Williams, 27, was allegedly trying to gain entry into the car when the off-duty deputy called 911 and reported that someone had a gun on him.
Maj. Ben Katrib said the deputy instructed Williams multiple times to back down, but he ignored the warnings and attempted to open the passenger door of the vehicle while his child was inside. The deputy then opened fire, striking Williams several times before he died at the scene.
First responders provided aid to Williams, but he later succumbed to his injuries at a nearby hospital.
In an interview, Williams' mother Tieneeshia described her son as struggling with mental health issues and having a history of run-ins with law enforcement. According to her, Darrius had been released from jail just one night before the incident after being arrested for walking into oncoming traffic.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office have launched separate investigations into the shooting. The DA's office will present its findings to a grand jury once the investigation is complete, which could determine whether charges are filed against the deputy.
As authorities continue to investigate this incident, it remains unclear if Williams had any concealed weapons at the time of the alleged intrusion or how many times he was shot by the off-duty deputy.
a guy tries to break into someones car with his kid inside and an off duty cop shoots him... sounds super suspicious to me 
, maybe there were other ways to handle the situation without resorting to violence? idk, i'm just trying to process this all 
This case is really a tough one... I mean, you gotta feel bad for the guy who was trying to break into that car with his kid inside 
. But at the same time, it's not like the deputy didn't have every right to defend himself and his family 
. The fact that the guy ignored multiple warnings and kept coming at him is just red flag after red flag 
, but it's clear he was in a life-threatening situation and had to act fast 
. It's also sad that Darrius didn't have access to more mental health resources or support systems 
can't believe that someone's desperation led to a tragic death... 27 years old, what was going through his mind? 
. why did he try to break into the car in the first place? 
it's not like the deputy didn't give warnings, but I guess that wasn't enough 
and of course, some politicians will be jumping on this to try and change laws again 
... can't we just have a moment to process instead of using it for another agenda? 
. I don't know what's more shocking, the fact that he got shot or that he thought it was a good idea to try to break in while there's a kid around 
.
it's also hard not to think about what could've been if someone else had been there instead of the deputy... but at the same time, glad that both he and the child are safe 
#AccountabilityMatters #JusticeForDarrius
the whole thing just feels like it could've been avoided if someone had just stayed calm and not called the cops on their own neighbor 
. I mean, come on, breaking into a car with a kid inside? That's not exactly the most brazen or threatening move. It's almost like they were trying to provoke someone. The deputy's decision to shoot seems so over-the-top to me... and now Darrius is dead 
this whole thing just feels so unfair to me. i mean, darrius williams had a history of mental health issues and was released from jail just one night before... it's not like he didn't know better, right? 
. no one deserves to die over a car break-in, period 
. we need more resources and support for people struggling 
how can we prevent these tragedies from happening?