Family disturbance ends with man fatally shot by Houston police

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Anguish and frustration fill Hoffman Street near Cavalcade for hours Monday afternoon. What began as a family disturbance ended up with police shooting and killing the suspect.

"We do know there was some sort of disturbance going on," said Victor Senties of the Houston Police Department.

Police they first got a call from family members around 1pm, stating there was a shooting in progress at this family disturbance. When police arrived they say the man was being disruptive. Family and friends who identified him as Frederick Roy say he was not behaving in a normal manner.

"(He was walking) from the store to the house, from the store to the house, from the store to the house," said a close family friend who did not want her named used. "He was on alcohol."

Houston police say when an officer questioned the man identified as Roy for a while.

"He continues to try to question the suspect and try to find out what's going on and it's at that point the suspect becomes aggressive, he becomes belligerent," said Senties. "He raises his shirt. The officer sees he has a pistol, a revolver in his waist band."

Police say the officer, A J Vargas, tried his best to subdue the man.

"The suspect at that point grabs the revolver and pulls it out of his waistband, the officer grabbed the gun, and his hand to try to keep him from pulling the gun up," said Senties.

Senties says the suspect then turned the revolver so it was facing the officer, then, fearing for his life, the officer fired. The suspect was killed.

The revolver in question could be seen on the ground as investigators gathered evidence most of the afternoon. Family and friends agree that Roy had the gun. However, they were convinced he was not holding it in a threatening manner.

"That's no reason for him to get killed...it wasn't nothing of that nature," said the family friend.

Officer Vargas will be placed on standard three day desk duty. The investigation will continue.