Police said three officers opened fire after confronting the armed woman outside a northwest Houston apartment complex Sunday.
HOUSTON, TX — Three Houston police officers shot and critically wounded a woman Sunday after authorities said she shot a man twice at a northwest Houston apartment complex and then refused officers’ commands during a confrontation outside the property.
The Houston Police Department said officers were dispatched at about 11:13 a.m. Oct. 4 to a shooting-in-progress call at 5959 Pinemont Drive. Police were initially told that a woman was shooting at a man at the apartment complex. While officers were still traveling to the scene, dispatchers received an update that the woman had returned to the man and shot him again, according to police.
Officers arriving at the complex found the woman walking outside near a sidewalk, police said. Assistant Chief Yasar Bashir said officers gave the woman verbal commands but she did not comply. Three officers then fired their weapons multiple times because they feared for their safety, according to Bashir. Police did not immediately release the officers’ names.
Early information about the confrontation changed as police gathered details Sunday. Initial reports indicated that the woman had fired at officers before police returned fire. Bashir later clarified that investigators did not believe the woman fired at the officers. Authorities have not publicly detailed what specifically caused the three officers to believe they were in danger before they opened fire.
After the police shooting, officers approached the wounded woman and provided medical assistance, authorities said. Police said two pistols were found in her possession. The woman was taken to a hospital along with the man she was accused of shooting. Both were reported in critical or serious condition in local reports following the incident. No police officers were injured.
Authorities had not publicly identified the woman or the wounded man as of Monday. Police also have not established publicly what relationship, if any, existed between them. Early information described the man as the woman’s partner, but Bashir later said investigators had not confirmed their relationship.
A witness interviewed by ABC13 said he initially heard three gunshots and then heard additional shots after going outside. The witness said he saw the police shooting and was shocked by the encounter. Police have not said how many total rounds the three officers fired or how many times the woman was struck.
The shooting is expected to undergo the reviews that follow Houston police officer-involved shootings. HPD says officer-involved shooting scenes are investigated by multiple divisions and agencies. The department maintains a public officer-involved shooting page as part of its transparency process.
Body-worn camera footage could provide additional evidence about what happened during the confrontation. HPD said the officers’ body-camera video will be released within 30 days. Until that footage and additional investigative findings are released, key details remain unresolved, including the woman’s actions immediately before officers fired.
The investigation remained ongoing Monday. Authorities had not announced criminal charges or released a motive for the initial shooting, and the identities of the two hospitalized people remained undisclosed. Police had also not announced an updated medical condition for either person beyond the serious injuries reported after the shootings.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 5, 2026.