Man dead in Lake Jackson officer-involved shooting

LAKE JACKSON, TX (KTRK) -- Lake Jackson police shot and killed a man after he pointed a semi-automatic pistol at them.

Police tell Eyewitness News they were called to the 500 block of Sycamore Street just after midnight. A person living at that address told them a roommate was armed and had pointed a weapon.

Police say they responded and when they confronted the suspect, Robert Edwards, 68, in his bedroom, he pointed a weapon at them.

"There was quite a bit of material around on the floor in the area. There really wasn't much room to walk within the room," said Lake Jackson Police Chief Rick Park. "He was upright in the bed with his back against the wall, facing the door."

Police say they told him twice to drop the weapon, but he did not comply. Three of the four officers responding fired their weapons.

Edwards died at the scene. Police could not say how many times he was struck, but they suspect it was multiple gunshots.

The officers are on administrative leave, which is standard procedure, and the investigation is being handled by both the Brazoria County Sheriffs Office and the county district attorney.

"Our police department is impeccable in each thing that they do," said Lake Jackson Mayor Joe Rinehart. "They will investigate this thoroughly. Brazoria County Sheriff's Department will investigate it thoroughly."

Neighbors describe Edwards as a lonely, quiet man who was good to his friends.