HOUSTON, Texas — An off-duty New Orleans police officer visiting a Houston upscale Galleria-area restaurant is dead and another person is seriously wounded after gunmen opened fire during a robbery.
A group of four men visiting Houston sat down to dinner Saturday night on the patio of an upscale Galleria-area restaurant. The group included an off-duty New Orleans police officer, Houston Police Department officials said.
Two armed men approached the group and demanded they turn over their belongings, KHOU CBS11 reported. Witnesses said the diners were complying with the gunmen’s orders when one of the gunmen opened fire.
The two gunmen fatally wounded the New Orleans police officer and left a second person seriously wounded, Houston Police officials tweeted.
UPDATE: Surveillance photos of 2 black male suspects and wanted vehicle, a silver/gray Nissan Altima with paper tags. They are wanted in this fatal shooting of an off-duty @NOPDNews officer.
Please call HPD Homicide 713-308-3600 with info or give tip for reward to @CrimeStopHOU https://t.co/Xatung6LDN pic.twitter.com/jBFhsK82yC
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) August 22, 2021
Police described the two gunmen as black males and said they fled in a silver or gray Nissan Altima. The vehicle had temporary paper tags.
Police officials said the New Orleans officer was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after Houston police arrived. The second victim is said to be in critical condition, KTRK ABC13 reported.
New Orleans police officials confirmed the murder of one of their officers in the failed Houston robbery, tweeting, “We are praying for the family of our fallen officer. We are also praying for the family of the second victim in this incident.”
Fox8 in New Orleans identified the deceased officer as a 13-year veteran, Detective Everett Brisco. The detective served in the department’s homicide and narcotics divisions. Ironically, his last assignment dealt with investigating violent crimes against people in the NOPD’s First District.
“We’re better than this,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner told reporters. “And I’m not going to let by as the chief, and everyone that’s standing with me right now, and let a few [little] thugs tear down our city.”
“Right now, I’m damn mad,” the chief said. “It makes no sense. We’re going to stand together as a city.”
“Somebody knows them,” the chief continued. “And I want everybody in every neighborhood to stand up and give us some information so we can get these individuals in custody.”
Finner described the deceased officer as a father of two children who is well respected in the New Orleans Police Department.
The failed robbery at the upscale restaurant, the Grotto, comes amid a spike in violent crime across the city of Houston. In July, KTRK reported that city leaders called this the worst crime spike in years. The Houston Police Department is reported to be down 97 officers as crime continues to increase.
Murders and sexual assaults are up the most compared to 2019 numbers, the local ABC affiliate stated.
Earlier this year, KTRK reported five galleria area places where victims are followed and robbed at gunpoint. These include the Post Oak Hotel, River Oaks District, PlazAmericas on Bellaire, and Johnny Dang & Co. on Richmond Avenue.
The manhunt for the two suspects continues.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
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