Charges filed against man at center of shootout with police officers in northeast Houston, HPD says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man at the center of a shootout with Houston police has been charged on Thursday, according to officers.

Juan Alberto Gallegos was taken into custody on Tuesday after the shooting happened in the Denver Harbor/Port Houston neighborhood outside a home on Kress Street.

The Houston Police Department posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying it all started when the 40-year-old barricaded himself inside the home.

Investigators said Gallegos' son's girlfriend called the police, saying he was intoxicated and threatening her, his son, and his daughter with a gun.

According to HPD Asst. Chief Megan Howard, officers couldn't access the property because the home was fenced off.

Police officers found the teenagers who secured themselves in the home and were able to get them out through a bedroom window without Gallegos knowing.

HPD said Gallegos came out the front door several times and spoke with officers but refused to open the iron fence gate.

About an hour later, Gallegos allegedly came out with a pistol in his hand and opened fire at officers, prompting police to return fire.

Howard said he opened fire once, and officers shot several rounds. The 40-year-old then went back inside, communicated with police, and returned outside, appearing unarmed.

The SWAT team was able to distract the suspect as other officers were able to get beyond the fence, approach him, and take him into custody.

On Thursday, Gallegos was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant.

As is customary in HPD officer-involved shooting incidents in the Houston city limits, the HPD Special Investigations Unit and the Internal Affairs Division are investigating the case.