texaschickeee
02-18-2009, 06:36 PM
A Houston police officer spent about 90 minutes trying to convince a kidnapping suspect to surrender peacefully and end a tense SWAT scene early Wednesday in the parking lot at a southwest Houston apartment complex.
All the while, HPD officer Dionne Alexander tightly grasped the .45 caliber pistol that police said Daniel Harris, 32, used when he grabbed his sister-in-law earlier that morning from her west Harris County apartment.
Alexander spotted the pistol about 5:15 a.m. after another HPD officer pulled the kidnapping victim to safety from a car parked at the apartments in the 11700 block of Bissonnet.
``She had no time to do anything other than jump on the weapon and try to grab it from the suspect,’’ said HPD Sgt. J.J. Wilson. ``Her hand was on it and his hand was on it. It was basically a stand-off.’’
The two remained inside the Mitsubishi sedan, neither relinquishing their grip on the semi-automatic pistol, as Alexander continued talking to Harris, Wilson said.
``She did a good job. She held her composure,’’ Wilson said.
As the minutes ticked by, however, Harris became more agitated.
``We had to make a decision,’’ Wilson said. ``The negotiations broke down and SWAT moved in to get the gun away from the suspect.’’
A SWAT officer came through the back door of the car and fired a Taser at Harris. The pistol discharged, sending a round through the floorboard, but no one was hit, Wilson said.
Police at the scene hadn’t determined whether Harris intentionally fired the pistol.
Harris was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital for a medical examination after paramedics found that he had an elevated heartbeat after being shocked, officials said.
He is facing charges of aggravated kidnapping and assault on a police officer, authorities said.
Police said a custody dispute between Harris and his estranged wife triggered the kidnapping of Angie Odom about an hour before the SWAT stand-off.
``There was something about the break-up that he couldn’t adjust to,’’ said John Odom, the uncle of both the kidnapped woman and Harris’ wife.
Angie Odom was awakened by a knocking on the front door of her apartment in the 3500 block of Greencrest. She said it was Harris, who was apparently attempting to disguise his identity.
``He sounded like a little kid asking for help,’’ Odom later said. ``When I opened the door, he rushed in with a gun.’’
He forced Odom into her car, telling her to drive him to the apartment where his wife was living with their two small boys.
``He kept saying that he was running out of time and needed to see his kids. I knew he wasn’t in a right state of mind,’’ Odom said, after police rescued her from the car.
Police said Harris apparently planned to trade his sister-in-law for his children.
``He just wanted to see his kids. That was his only motive,’’ Wilson said.
Once they arrived at the Crossings at Ashton Place apartments, Angie Odom lead Harris to her uncle’s apartment instead of the home at the same complex where his wife and children were living.
Harris hid behind bushes as Angie Odom, the pistol pointed at her side, knocked on the front door. He jumped up, revealing himself, when the door opened.
``He grabbed me and said, ‘There’s going to be a killing. Someone better take me to where she (Harris’ wife) is at,’’’ John Odom said.
He tried to calm Harris and offered to help mediate the domestic dispute. Realizing that his wife wasn’t there, Harris dragged Angie Odom back to the parking lot.
``He (Harris) was going to snap at any moment. The way he was acting, I had no doubt in my mind that this was not a bluff,’’ he said.
John Odom then called police, who arrived within minutes and surrounded the sedan.
As Alexander, a 10-year-HPD veteran, opened the passenger side door, another officer managed to slip up to the driver’s side and yanked Angie Odom to safety.
Police quickly hustled Odom out of the line-of-fire as Alexander began her 90-minute-odyssey with Harris.
``It was scary. They (police) did a good job,’’ Odom said.
Alexander could not be reached for comment.
mike.glenn@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6268809.html
All the while, HPD officer Dionne Alexander tightly grasped the .45 caliber pistol that police said Daniel Harris, 32, used when he grabbed his sister-in-law earlier that morning from her west Harris County apartment.
Alexander spotted the pistol about 5:15 a.m. after another HPD officer pulled the kidnapping victim to safety from a car parked at the apartments in the 11700 block of Bissonnet.
``She had no time to do anything other than jump on the weapon and try to grab it from the suspect,’’ said HPD Sgt. J.J. Wilson. ``Her hand was on it and his hand was on it. It was basically a stand-off.’’
The two remained inside the Mitsubishi sedan, neither relinquishing their grip on the semi-automatic pistol, as Alexander continued talking to Harris, Wilson said.
``She did a good job. She held her composure,’’ Wilson said.
As the minutes ticked by, however, Harris became more agitated.
``We had to make a decision,’’ Wilson said. ``The negotiations broke down and SWAT moved in to get the gun away from the suspect.’’
A SWAT officer came through the back door of the car and fired a Taser at Harris. The pistol discharged, sending a round through the floorboard, but no one was hit, Wilson said.
Police at the scene hadn’t determined whether Harris intentionally fired the pistol.
Harris was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital for a medical examination after paramedics found that he had an elevated heartbeat after being shocked, officials said.
He is facing charges of aggravated kidnapping and assault on a police officer, authorities said.
Police said a custody dispute between Harris and his estranged wife triggered the kidnapping of Angie Odom about an hour before the SWAT stand-off.
``There was something about the break-up that he couldn’t adjust to,’’ said John Odom, the uncle of both the kidnapped woman and Harris’ wife.
Angie Odom was awakened by a knocking on the front door of her apartment in the 3500 block of Greencrest. She said it was Harris, who was apparently attempting to disguise his identity.
``He sounded like a little kid asking for help,’’ Odom later said. ``When I opened the door, he rushed in with a gun.’’
He forced Odom into her car, telling her to drive him to the apartment where his wife was living with their two small boys.
``He kept saying that he was running out of time and needed to see his kids. I knew he wasn’t in a right state of mind,’’ Odom said, after police rescued her from the car.
Police said Harris apparently planned to trade his sister-in-law for his children.
``He just wanted to see his kids. That was his only motive,’’ Wilson said.
Once they arrived at the Crossings at Ashton Place apartments, Angie Odom lead Harris to her uncle’s apartment instead of the home at the same complex where his wife and children were living.
Harris hid behind bushes as Angie Odom, the pistol pointed at her side, knocked on the front door. He jumped up, revealing himself, when the door opened.
``He grabbed me and said, ‘There’s going to be a killing. Someone better take me to where she (Harris’ wife) is at,’’’ John Odom said.
He tried to calm Harris and offered to help mediate the domestic dispute. Realizing that his wife wasn’t there, Harris dragged Angie Odom back to the parking lot.
``He (Harris) was going to snap at any moment. The way he was acting, I had no doubt in my mind that this was not a bluff,’’ he said.
John Odom then called police, who arrived within minutes and surrounded the sedan.
As Alexander, a 10-year-HPD veteran, opened the passenger side door, another officer managed to slip up to the driver’s side and yanked Angie Odom to safety.
Police quickly hustled Odom out of the line-of-fire as Alexander began her 90-minute-odyssey with Harris.
``It was scary. They (police) did a good job,’’ Odom said.
Alexander could not be reached for comment.
mike.glenn@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6268809.html