HOUSTON – The man indicted for the murder of an Afghan refugee over a parking spot in April appeared in court Tuesday morning after being issued a summons to appear.
Katia Bougere was indicted by a grand jury on July 28 in connection to the shooting death of Abdul Waziri at the Gables at Richmond Apartments.
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Bougere appeared in court Tuesday where he was taken into custody and given a $75,000 bond.
During his court appearance, the prosecutor explained why Bougere was issued a summons to appear in court rather than a warrant for his arrest. The prosecutor explained typically, if there is a flight fear, a suspect will be taken into custody via a warrant. However, in this case, they did not feel that way about Bougere since he had been in close contact with police, called 911 right away and answered every time prosecutors called.
He is currently in jail and his next court date is scheduled for Sept. 18.
“We believe that ultimately that a jury will see this as the self defense situation that it really was,” Bougere’s defense attorney, Ed McClees, said in a statement to KPRC 2.
What happened
The shooting happened on April 27 at about 9:15 p.m. at the Gables at Richmond Apartments.
Abdul Rahman Waziri, 31, an Afghan refugee who fought alongside US Green Berets, was fatally shot during an argument over parking, according to Houston Police.
Surveillance video showed Waziri parked with his hazards blinking near the mailbox when Bougere pulled up behind him.
The two exchanged words before Bougere allegedly shot Waziri and then walked away. When first responders arrived, Bougere reportedly handed over the gun before being handcuffed. He was released shortly after.
In June, Houston Police announced the case would be turned over to a grand jury for review. On July 28, the grand jury indicted Bougere for murder in connection to the shooting.