HPD says the 33-year-old driver was critically wounded; no officers were hurt.
HOUSTON, TX — A traffic stop for an expired registration on Thursday morning in northwest Houston escalated into a pursuit and shootout that left the driver critically wounded after he crashed near Antoine Drive and West 34th Street, police said.
Houston police said patrol officers pulled over a car shortly after 8:40 a.m. and learned the driver had an outstanding warrant. When officers moved to arrest him, he sped away, firing at pursuing units during a high-speed chase before crashing and exchanging more gunfire. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Two women who were in the car were detained for questioning, and one of them was arrested on an unrelated warrant, according to police. No officers or bystanders were reported injured. Investigators with multiple HPD divisions and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office are reviewing the case.
Assistant Chief Luis Menendez-Sierra said the stop began as routine. The driver, he said, handed over his license and insurance before officers discovered a felony theft warrant and tried to take him into custody. “The driver fired at officers from the vehicle,” Menendez-Sierra said, adding that the man crashed near Antoine and West 34th and “again fired at officers while attempting to run.” At least two patrol cars could be seen with damage following the pursuit. Officers at the scene placed dozens of evidence markers along the roadway as traffic diverted through nearby side streets. By late morning, detectives were canvassing for surveillance video from businesses that line the corridor.
Police have not formally released the man’s name. Family members at the scene identified him as 33-year-old Jacques Bassey and said he texted relatives after the shooting to say he had been hit. “He texted me that he had been shot,” his mother told reporters near the intersection, standing behind crime-scene tape as investigators worked. HPD said two women were also in the vehicle; one had a warrant related to a family-violence case and was taken into custody. Officers were not injured in the gunfire despite rounds striking at least one patrol unit during the chase, Menendez-Sierra said. Authorities did not immediately say how many shots were fired or the exact distances involved.
The stretch of Antoine Drive where the crash occurred is a busy north–south artery that cuts through residential and commercial blocks west of U.S. 290. The shooting unfolded during the morning rush as delivery trucks, school traffic, and storefronts opened for the day. In recent months, HPD has reported several pursuits across the city that began with vehicle stops and escalated when drivers fled. Department policy requires officers to weigh the risks of continuing a chase in dense traffic against the need to apprehend a suspect wanted for a violent offense, according to prior briefings by commanders. Thursday’s case, officials said, moved quickly once the warrant was confirmed and the driver accelerated away from the stop.
Investigators from HPD’s Special Investigations Unit, Homicide Division, and Internal Affairs responded, as did prosecutors from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, which conducts its own review of officer-involved shootings. Detectives planned to interview the involved officers and civilian witnesses, examine patrol-car dash and body-worn camera footage, and process the crash scene for ballistic evidence. The suspect remained hospitalized Thursday evening. Once medically cleared, he is expected to be booked into the Harris County jail pending the DA’s charging decision. Police did not provide a timeline for additional public updates.
On the block around Antoine and West 34th, shattered glass and a broken pole were visible near a disabled sedan. Workers from nearby shops watched while officers mapped the scene and tow trucks removed vehicles. “It was loud, like fireworks, and then everything stopped,” said a store manager who declined to give his name. A resident who lives a block away said she saw officers running with weapons drawn after the car came to rest. “They were shouting commands and clearing people back,” she said. By midday, crews had reopened one lane as investigators finished collecting evidence and neighbors trickled past the taped-off sidewalk.
As of Thursday night, HPD said the driver remained in critical condition and detectives were still taking statements and checking cameras along the corridor. The department said it will release additional information after preliminary interviews are complete. The next formal update is expected following the DA’s initial charging review.
Author note: Last updated December 5, 2025.