SkyEye spotted the 9mm weapon on a paved walkway after pursuing the suspect on foot inside the Breckenridge at Cityview apartment complex on Seminar Drive in north Houston.
[Ads /]
According to the Houston Police Department, the pursuit happened when its North Belt Patrol officers were looking for a known aggravated robbery suspect, who was sitting in a car at about 3:30 p.m.
Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite said officers tried to close in on the man, even pulling back extra resources so as not to "tip the hand," but the suspect took off.
The suspect then entered the complex with officers behind, bailed on foot, and ran, discarding multiple narcotics in the process.
At one point, Satterwhite said the suspect pulled out his weapon, and officers commanded him to drop it before police fired three shots, hitting the man.
The suspect was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and later released into custody.
Police said the man is wanted for a robbery where he allegedly followed a victim out of a store, robbed, and beat them.
[Ads /]
The officer who opened fire is a seven-year veteran of HPD, Satterwhite added.
According to HPD data, 48 police reports were logged in the past three months at and immediately around the complex.
For updates on this story, follow Daniela Hurtado on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.