Houston police investigating latent self-defense shooting in Midtown parking garage

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A man was shot and killed in a busy Midtown parking garage on Saturday afternoon in what police believe may have been an act of self-defense.

Officers were called to the 3200 block of Louisiana Street near Elgin around 3 p.m. When they arrived, a man, said to be in his 30s, was found dead, according to HPD Det. Sarin Chettry.

Chettry said surveillance footage shows the man in his thirties attempting to open the suspected shooter's driver side door while he was sitting in the seat, causing him to open fire.

RELATED: Woman tells Harris Co. Pct. 4 deputies she shot man in self-defense in Spring area

Police were able to locate a knife near the victim's body but said it was too soon to confirm if it was his, if he brandished it, or if it was visible during the incident.

It doesn't appear that there was any physical or verbal dispute between the men prior to the shooting, Chettry said.

Legal analyst Steve Shellist told ABC13 involvement and visibility of the knife would likely impact their decision.

"It's not black and white in Texas," Shellist said.

Still, Shellist said he believes this will likely be considered a case of self-defense because the shooting victim opened the car door.

RELATED: Lawyer breaks down self-defense process following alleged robbery and violent attack in Houston

This week, two victims fought back against their attackers or robbers, claiming it was self-defense. ABC13 is told what happens after can make a big difference in determining if it was justified.

Chettry said police did not know the victim's motive for opening the car door.

According to officials, the case will be referred to a grand jury.

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