April 12, 2023 - Houston police are investigating the fatal shooting of a male suspect by an HPD officer at 12375 Martin Luther King Boulevard about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday (April 11).

The identity of the deceased male suspect, believed to be in his 40s, is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

HPD Officer K. Cummins, who discharged his duty weapon, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene. Officer Cummins was sworn in as an officer in January 2016 and is assigned to the Gang Division.

HPD Special Investigations Unit Sergeant M. Glover and Detectives A. Henderson, I. Ulloa and S. Mohajer reported:

Officer Cummins, on duty and in full uniform, was in his patrol vehicle and saw a vehicle in the parking lot at the above address. Officer Cummins determined the vehicle was stolen, pulled in closely behind the vehicle and activated his emergency equipment.

As Officer Cummins approached the driver's side door, he saw a male suspect in the driver's seat and attempted to detain him. The suspect refused Officer Cummins' verbal commands, put the stolen vehicle in reverse and intentionally struck the patrol vehicle. The suspect then exited the vehicle and initiated a physical altercation with Officer Cummins. Both men ended up on the ground.

A female acquaintance of the suspect interfered with Officer Cummins' attempts to arrest the suspect as she hovered over top of the officer and grabbed his shirt. The female ended up with Officer Cummins' taser - Conducted Energy Device (CED) - and one of his magazines knocked away by the male suspect. The female then refused to comply with Officer Cummins' commands to give back his equipment.

During the struggle, the suspect managed to knock off Officer Cummins' radio, which prevented him from calling for assistance. The male suspect then got position on top of the officer and continued to physically assault Officer Cummins. Fearing for his safety, Officer Cummins discharged his duty weapon at least once and the suspect was struck.

Responding HPD officers provided medical assistance to the suspect until Houston Fire Department paramedics arrived. The suspect was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The female acquaintance, Donneka Abraham, 35, was detained and charged with interfering with public duties in Harris County Criminal Court #13.

As is customary in HPD officer-involved shooting incidents in the Houston city limits, this case will be investigated by the HPD Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.