Authorities said the deputy confronted a man inside her neighbor’s Mission Bend home before reporting that he tried to disarm her.
HARRIS COUNTY, TX— An off-duty Harris County sheriff’s deputy shot and critically wounded a man Sunday after finding him inside a neighbor’s home in the Mission Bend area and reporting that he tried to take her weapon, authorities said.
Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the 7200 block of Rio Blanco Drive at about 5:10 p.m. Sept. 20 after receiving an assist-the-officer call. Investigators said the off-duty deputy knew the homeowner was out of town and went to check the property because she believed someone was burglarizing it. She encountered a man inside the house, according to the sheriff’s office.
The deputy told investigators that she confronted the man and that he tried to disarm her. She then fired her weapon, striking him in the upper body, authorities said. Deputies who arrived at the scene provided medical aid before the man was flown by LifeFlight to an area hospital. Authorities later described his condition as critical.
The man had not been publicly identified as of Monday, and authorities had not released his age. Investigators also had not established why he was inside the home or whether he had a weapon. Those details remained part of the ongoing investigation. No arrest or criminal charge had been announced in connection with the incident.
The deputy suffered minor injuries, described by authorities as scratches, and was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment. The sheriff’s office said she has 14 years of law enforcement experience. Her name was not immediately released in the reports reviewed for this story.
Investigators initially believed one shot may have been fired, but officials cautioned that the information was preliminary as detectives worked to document the scene and gather evidence. The shooting occurred in the Mission Bend area of west Harris County, near Highway 6 and Bellaire Boulevard.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit and crime scene investigators are handling the criminal investigation into the shooting. The agency’s Internal Affairs Division is conducting a separate administrative review of the deputy’s actions. Such reviews examine the circumstances surrounding a deputy’s use of a firearm and whether department procedures were followed.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is also expected to independently review the shooting. Authorities said the facts gathered in the investigations will be presented to a grand jury. The sheriff’s office had not announced any findings about whether the shooting was legally justified or whether the deputy complied with department policy.
Officials said there was no continuing threat to the surrounding community after the incident. Investigators continued working Monday to determine the circumstances of the suspected break-in, the events leading to the confrontation and the actions of those involved. The wounded man remained hospitalized in critical condition in the latest reports reviewed.
Author note: Last updated September 21, 2026.