HOUSTON – A man who was shot by a Houston police officer during a chase back in April has died.
The lawyer for Tony Underwood confirms he died around 9:45 p.m. Sunday evening.
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Underwood had been at Ben Taub Hospital since the incident on April 30.
What happened
Houston Police say they attempted to stop a stolen SUV on Reed Road and 288. Officers say Underwood refused to pull over, leading to a brief chase before crashing near an apartment complex on Tierwester Drive.
According to HPD’s initial report, the Underwood got out of the vehicle and ran. Police say he was armed, pulled the gun out and cock it.
“As officers attempted to detain the suspect, a struggle ensued between one of the pursuing officers and the suspect,” HPD said in its public report.
Fearing for his safety, investigators said the officer fired his weapon, hitting Underwood.
However, his family tells a different story. They claim Tony was trying to return his girlfriend‘s car after a dispute and was holding a water bottle — not a gun — when confronted by police.
In late May, Underwood’s attorney raised concerns about the presentation of body-cam footage released by police after the shooting.
“It’s very evident if you closely watch the video that was released on YouTube, there are segments of the video and videos from multiple officers’ body-worn cameras that are spliced together,” Attorney Courtney Vincent said.
On June 30, Harris County prosecutors dropped three felony charges against Underwood, citing his grave medical condition. However, they said they reserved the right to refile charges if his condition improved.