A sheriff's deputy responding to a mental health crisis call Wednesday shot and killed a Houston man, who authorities said approached the deputy with a knife.
A woman called the Harris County Sheriff’s Office shortly after midnight and said her husband "was experiencing a mental health crisis and was behaving erratically," according to a statement from the sheriff's office.
When the deputy knocked on the door of the home, the man who opened it had a knife, the statement said.
"The deputy attempted to retreat and deployed his Taser in an attempt to subdue the man, but the Taser was not effective and the man continued to pursue the deputy," the statement said.
“The suspect aggressively approached our deputy,” Harris County Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Mike Lee said, according to NBC affiliate KPRC. “The deputy and the subject retreated a number of yards out into the street. The deputy attempted to use his Taser on the subject that was still armed with a knife. The Taser was not effective at that time."
"At that time, our deputy discharged his weapon a number of times, striking the suspect," Lee said.
The deputy then called for paramedics and backup, according to the sheriff's office statement. Crews attempted first aid, but the man died on the scene. His name has not been released.
The deputy is on temporary administrative leave while the the sheriff’s office and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office investigate the shooting.
The deputy has been on the job for seven months, and has been trained in how to interact with people experiencing a mental health crisis, the Harris County Sheriff's Office told KPRC. The deputy was not injured.
