Thread: Hedwig Village police release video of officer-involved shooting in July

Hedwig Village police release video of officer-involved shooting in July

Author: Nakia Cooper, Sr. Web Editor
Ryan Korsgard, Reporter, rkorsgard@click2houston.com

Published On: Dec 18 2014

Hedwig Village police release video of officer-involved shooting in July

HOUSTON -Hedwig Village Police released video of an officer-involved shooting that happened on July 28.

The video shows the chase started with what Officer Andra Gibson expected would be just another normal traffic stop. The video shows the officer turned on his emergency lights when he spotted an illegal turn. The driver did not immediately stop.
At one point, it appeared the driver was going to stop. Instead he paused just long enough to drop off his passenger. The chase continued through the usually quiet community just off of the Katy Freeway. At times, the driver went against traffic, on the wrong side of the road, barely missing other drivers.

The video showed the chase lasted more than two minutes. It ended when Emilio Solis, 36, stopped. At first, it appeared, on the video, that Solis was about to give himself. Solis then pulled a gun from his waistband and immediately fired at least three shots. Gibson fired back. Police said a total of 17 shots were fired, including at least four shots fired into the cruiser's windshield and door plus through the officer's pant leg. Gibson was not hurt. Solis died on the way to the hospital.

"A shot came through the window, and normally, that is where an officer would be in a felony traffic stop," said Hedwig Village police Chief David Gott. "He was moving toward the back, over around to the back of his car which was obviously a good move and then he had the one shot to his pants leg."

“No doubt about it. God was on his side," he said of Gibson, who has been with Hedwig Village for 3 1/2 years. "The officer is also a pastor in his off duty time. I don't know if that helped. But it certainly didn't hurt. “

Police said Solis was wanted on drug charges from Los Angeles. They said he was also suspected in seven aggravated robberies not long before the chase. The chief said Solis was in the country illegally and was involved in a gang in Houston. Police said the passenger who was dropped off during that chase is named Edwin Benetiz. Police said he was with Solis' girlfriend when she went to the Houston Police two days after the chase as she tried to recover the car involved in the chase. Police said Benetiz had warrants for his arrest in Colorado County.

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