OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING BEING INVESTIGATED IN FAYETTE COUNTY
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers are investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred on Wednesday.
According to Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek, the case originally started on Tuesday night.
Deputies received a report from a property owner that located a male subject inside a residential construction site in the 1300 block of Knape Rd along with a female subject who appeared to be in distress.
The caller advised they were attempting to detain the male subject with a gun, when he decided to use the female as a shield, and exited the property with her.
The male subject entered the caller’s vehicle with the female and left the area at a high rate of speed. Deputies began searching for the stolen vehicle as well as processing the scene.
Through evidence located at the scene and the initial caller’s information, deputies were able to identify the male subject as 40-year-old Justin Joseph Howard of Houston and the female subject as 38-year-old Ashley Renea White of Houston.
White had been reported as a missing person by the Houston Police Department on Tuesday, and deputies learned that Howard had just been released from jail after being arrested for a family violence assault against White.
A statewide alert was issued for Ashley White with Justin Howard and the information for the stolen vehicle.
On Wednesday morning, just after 8am, the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a possible sighting of the stolen vehicle in a pasture in the area off Old Plum Highway and Egypt Rd.
Deputies arrived and located the vehicle in the pasture near a tree line approximately a quarter mile from the roadway.
Investigators launched a drone, which helped confirm that it was the stolen vehicle and to observe that Howard was still inside.
Deputies established a perimeter around the area to prevent the vehicle from leaving.
The Austin County Regional Special Response Team was requested to come to the scene, and Fayette County EMS units were staged nearby to respond while Deputies continued to hold the perimeter and observe Howard.
Howard had entered the pasture in an attempt to hide, and was later unable to move the vehicle due to mud after the significant rainfall.
The SRT team attempted to make contact with Howard who exited the vehicle, while restraining White in front of him as a shield.
According to Fayette County Sheriff’s Lieutenant David Beyer, Howard displayed a pistol forcing SRT members to engage him out of concern for the safety of White and the other officers on scene.
White was able to be removed from the scene by the SRT team safely, and medics began rendering aid to Howard.
Despite lifesaving measures Howard succumbed to his injuries on scene.
White was transported to an area hospital by Fayette County EMS for injuries previously inflicted by Howard. She was later flown to another medical facility to receive medical care for her injuries.