Postal worker shoots man after argument near Midtown flower shops, HPD said

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man who was reportedly shot two times by a postal worker after an argument at a Midtown gas station was up, talking and walking, just a few hours after the violent altercation.

According to police, the shooting happened late Thursday morning outside the Chevron on Fannin and Rosedale streets, near Houston's Flower Row.

Darren Jackson, the man who had been shot, walked back to the gas station just hours later, bullet wounds and all. He shared his version of how the shooting unfolded exclusively with ABC13.

"Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow. Pow. I have a big hole in my chest. It went through. Missed my heart by that much," Jackson demonstrated.

He said the postal worker, whose name has not been released, bumped into him inside the store and didn't say excuse me.

"I thought since he was a youngster, I was going to try to talk to him and make things right, you know? So he can try to respect people," Jackson said. "It didn't work."

The confrontation reportedly escalated and spilled outside. That's when police say the postal worker pulled out a gun he was carrying and fired. After he was shot, Jackson said he ran to a nearby flower shop on Rosedale because he thought the gunman was chasing him.

He was then taken to Ben Taub hospital.

Just hours later, Jackson walked the mile and a half back from the hospital to the gas station to get his SUV. He was still bleeding and in shock. He said he regrets engaging the man.

"In this world, you're wasting your time," he said.

Police say the worker faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the USPS website, postal workers are prohibited from carrying a firearm while on duty.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service provided ABC13 with the following statement:

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is assisting the Houston Police Department in an incident that occurred on Thursday, September 16, 2021.

Details on the suspected gunman were limited, but no arrests have been made as of Thursday night.

For updates on this report, follow ABC13 reporter Jessica Willey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.