Pharmacy robbery leads to hostage situation in Tomball

TOMBALL, TX (KTRK) -- A brazen robbery leads to a shoot-out then a hostage situation. It all happened in the middle of the day in Tomball. Around 11:30 this morning, two masked men barged into TMP pharmacy on School Road. Neighbors in the medical complex heard the commotion, and saw the robbers rushing out.

"I just saw the gentleman come running out and he ended up dropping stuff, and he got in the vehicle, and sped off, and the police behind them," said one woman who didn't want to be identified.

In their haste, the robbers dropped much of what they were trying to steal. Eyewitnesses snapped photos that show the two men scrambling to pick up the drugs and jump in their car. They were in such a hurry that one of the man's pants fell halfway down his legs, exposing his underwear in the pictures.

As they drove off, Tomball police were close by, there was a quick, quart mile chase before the suspects pulled over.

"The suspects stopped, jumped out of the car, and both were armed," said Tomball Police Chief Robert Hauck. "An officer involved shooting occurred, and one of our officers shot one of the suspects."

The injured suspect was captured and transported to a local hospital. The other suspect eluded police for an hour. He was found inside a nearby apartment complex. Police say he kicked in the door of one apartment, and held a woman and her two kids hostage until police got on the scene.

"I looked out the window and they had cops were pulling him out, and they had the dogs on him," said Jennifer Harper, who lives in the same complex.

We caught up with the suspect as he was being led into the Tomball Police Department. He told us, "I didn't rob a pharmacy, I robbed a house," before being led away.

Investigators say both suspects will face a number of charges. Both are now in police custody.