HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A former mental health officer is left with questions after a Houston Police Department crisis call turned deadly.
On Sunday night, Houston police said two officers were inside a store in the 300 block of Milam Street when a man, who was reportedly having a mental health crisis, entered the location.
Officers said they took the man outside and continued talking with him.
“They walked with him towards the street when they decided to go hands-on with him because the talking wasn’t getting him the help that was needed,” HPD Chief Noe Diaz explained.
Tuwana Johnson told ABC13 moments before officers went hands-on, she didn’t notice any weapons.
“He wasn’t threatening anyone, but he said he wasn’t going back where he came from,” Johnson recalled. “That’s what I heard. He said, ‘I just want to see my son.'”
Seconds later, Johnson recalled officers tackled the man, who pulled out a knife and stabbed an officer in the head. Another officer opened fire, killing the man.
SEE ORIGINAL REPORT: HPD officer stabbed in the head while responding to mental health call in Downtown Houston: police
The medical examiner hasn’t released his name, but said he was shot in the head and hand. The officer who was stabbed was taken to the hospital, where he was later released.
Since the incident, ABC13 has tried for two days to get HPD to answer questions about the response.
HPD’s mental health policy states that when someone is suffering a mental health crisis, when possible, officers should request a crisis intervention officer. It’s unclear if the officers in this case did.
Two other officers arrived, but HPD won’t say if the mental health unit was contacted due to the investigation.
Current University of Houston Clear Lake criminology professor and former mental health officer Kimberly Dodson said during a crisis, these specialized officers can make a difference.
“The mental health specialist would’ve been able to make a determination about how to proceed and been able to help inform the officers,” Dodson said.
RELATED: ‘It will save lives’: New law targets gaps in responses to mental health crisis
Officers said they wanted to detain the man to conduct a mental health investigation. The policy states that if a person is suffering a crisis, an officer can immediately restrain them if they could cause harm to themselves or someone else.
Diaz said they plan to release the body camera footage. Dodson said it’ll not only be important for the public to see, but what’s on it could be used to help officers handle future mental health calls.
“The whole thing could’ve been avoided,” Dodson said. “If they had the proper training, if they had handled the situation differently, they would not have had to escalate it.”
For updates on this story, follow Nick Natario on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Copyright © 2025 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.