Store owner shot by deputy after opening fire during burglary misunderstanding
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HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — A burglary call ended with a deputy and a store owner shooting at each other on Ralph Culver near Brownie Campbell in northwest Harris County.
The shooting happened at a trucking equipment store around 11:45 p.m. Monday, and thankfully didn’t turn deadly when both the deputy and the owner of the store shot at each other.
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Deputies say they received a burglary call from the store owner, who had a video feed of his business at home.
The store owner arrived at the scene, unaware that a Harris County sheriff’s deputy was already at the business.
Upon arrival, the store owner saw the deputy and mistook him for the burglar, according to HCSO.
Deputies say the store owner was wearing the same clothing descriptions as the reported burglar, a white male dressed in a black shirt.
Investigators say the owner was the one who fired the first shot at the deputy because he thought he was the burglar.
That’s when the deputy fired back and hit the 72-year-old owner in the shoulder.
“The deputy’s car was blacked out because he was responding to a burglary call,” Major Susan Cotter said. “So he mistook the deputy for the burglar.”
The owner was transported to Northwest Houston Hospital in stable condition. He is expected to make a full recovery, deputies say.
The deputy involved was not injured, Cotter said.
Meanwhile, the suspect in the burglary case has not been found.
According to Cotter, the trucking equipment store has been broken into several times in the past.
“Can you tell me what you saw?” a dispatcher asked on radio chatter. “Yeah, he was walking towards me. He just started firing and I haven’t even checked the business,” the deputy responded.
The deputy involved in the shooting is 27 years old and has four years with the department, according to HCSO.
An investigation is underway into exactly what happened.
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