Duty Death: Sgt. Christopher Brewster - [Houston]
End of Service: 07/12/2019
By Lomi Kriel, St. John Barned-Smith and Jay R. Jordan
Houston Chronicle
HOUSTON — A Houston Police officer died Saturday night after he was shot in the chest during a domestic disturbance near Magnolia Park in east Houston.
Police arrived around 5:50 p.m. to the 7400 block of Avenue L to find a male and female arguing in the street, police said. A Hispanic male fired multiple rounds at the sergeant and then fled on foot. He was apprehended shortly after and is now in custody.
“This is a tough evening,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “This is a tough moment for our city.”
First responders performed CPR at 6 p.m., but Sgt. Christopher Brewster died at 6:29 p.m. Memorial Hermann Hospital. Brewster had been with the department about nine years and was promoted to sergeant earlier this year, sources said.
Turner said Brewster broadcast the suspect’s description in his final moments. The incident was captured on the officer’s body cam, authorities said.
Arturo Solis, 25, is being held in the death. He has a criminal history that includes assault to a family member, Chief Art Acevedo said.
“There are no what-ifs in the case,” Acevedo said. “Everyone did their very best.”
A fellow officer recalled Brewster as “an awesome cop and a really good guy.”
“He was someone I’d happily ride with any day of the week,” the officer said.
Neighbors witnessed the traumatic exchange.
“I heard five to six gunshots, right after that not even 15 seconds, HPD started running,” said Jesse, 60, a neighbor who did not want his last name published.
Minutes earlier, he had seen a woman and man arguing and yelling as they walked down the street, the neighbor said.
Another woman, who also did not want her name published, said she was in her girlfriend’s house when they heard several shots. At least one bullet went through the house.
When they stepped outside, they saw the officer lying on the ground. The man was running down Avenue L and the woman sprinted into their backyard, where police took her into custody.
Twelve other law enforcement officers have died this year in Texas, including two in Harris County. Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal, Harris County’s first Sikh deputy, was gunned down during a traffic stop in late September. Robert Solis is charged with capital murder in his death.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.