30-year-old turns himself in after HPD released photos of SUV connected to SE Houston shootout
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The man who admits to driving the SUV involved in a shootout with police Monday morning turned himself in.
On Wednesday afternoon, Kenneth Jollivatte, 30, surrendered to Houston police, with community activist Quanell X along side of him. But Jollivatte insists police are wrong in saying he fired at police.
"He wants to make it crystal clear that he fired at no one," Quanell X said while escorting Jollivatte to HPD headquarters on Travis Street.
Jollivatte said nothing as reporters fired questions about what happened that morning on Idaho Street. But Quanell says Jollivatte did explain a different version of events to him.
Jollivatte says he was indeed driving the white Ford Expedition on Idaho Street at about 12:40 a.m., with a woman in the front passenger seat and a man in the back with a gun. Jolivatte says, according to Quanell, before police showed up, another group fired at them first.
ORIGINAL STORY: Police looking for suspect's vehicle involved in shootout with HPD officer in southeast Houston
"I have the video that shows before the HPD officer ever showed up, there was a lot of shooting going on between two separate groups," Quanell said.
Quanell shared the video with ABC13 and Houston police, recorded by a witness on the street. You hear a couple shots, see the white Expedition, then hear a dozen more shots.
Police were called to the intersection off Cullen in southeast Houston after those shots were fired.
Investigators say that's when the driver in the white Expedition pointed a gun at an officer and the officer fired at him. The Expedition took off, then investigators say someone in the SUV shot at officers at least three times. Jollivatte maintains he never pointed a gun.
We asked Quanell if he's spoken with the man in the backseat, who Jollivatte claims had the gun. Quanell said he knew nothing about that person and didn't want to discuss it.
Police say Jollivatte isn't a suspect, but they do want to talk to him. First, he was taken to the hospital by ambulance. Jollivatte says he was grazed by a bullet on his neck during the shootout, though it's unclear who shot him.
When we asked HPD for an update on the investigation, a police spokesperson declined to comment. He says they'll release the next update if and when someone is charged in the case.
