Department Of Justices

2 officers shot; suspect believed to be gunman in deputy’s shooting possibly barricaded in NE Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said two officers have been shot after confronting who they believe to be the suspect in the shooting of a Harris County deputy Wednesday night.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, this is happening in the 11500 blk of Silhouette Ridge, near Summercreek High School.

Gonzalez said they believe the suspect, Terran Green, may possibly be barricaded at the location.

Shots were fired and two law enforcement officers have been shot.
Gonzalez said the officers are in unknown condition.
One officer is believed to be with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office while another is from the US Marshal’s Office. A third member from the US Marshal’s Office received a wound from shrapnel to the upper arm.

“Please stay clear of the area, as this is an active scene,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said the location is a home.
“We believe we have the location contained and there is no immediate threat to broader community. It’s unknown if others are inside the house,” he said.

The wounded law enforcement officers are being taken to a hospital. According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the wounded HCSO deputy and deputy from the US Marshal’s Office are receiving treatment at Kingwood Hospital and are said to be in good condition.

A Ring doorbell camera from a home down the street captured the law enforcement activity as officers surrounded the home Green is believed to be inside.

Another video shows law enforcement using what appears to be a robot during the response.
As of 10 p.m., the standoff was still ongoing.
“We’re still trying to resolve the situation peacefully out here and give the suspect every opportunity to turn himself in peacefully,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said earlier Thursday, investigators made their way to the home as a possible address as to where Green may have been.
“As they began to make contact with individuals at the house, they determined that he was indeed possibly in the house. As they began to make entry into the home, they were greeted by gunfire,” Gonzalez said.

No law enforcement were able to return fire. They retreated and the suspect barricaded himself in the home.
A hostage negotiation team as well as a HCSO Swat team are at the scene.
“By all indications, he is alone inside the home,” Gonzalez said.
Josh Wright, Chief Deputy of the US Marshal’s for the Southern District of Texas, said the wounded members of the marshal’s office are in good spirits.
“Family is surrounding them and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers,” Wright said.

Gonzalez said as far as the suspect’s connection to the location, they believe he may have known somebody at the home.
“We believe that its just known individuals to the suspect Green, we don’t know beyond that right now,” Gonzalez said.

18 U.S.C. § 2251- Sexual Exploitation of Children
(Production of child p**nography)
18 U.S.C. § 2251A- Selling and Buying of Children
18 U.S.C. § 2252- Certain activities relating to material involving the sexual exploitation of minors
(Possession, distribution and receipt of child p**nography)
18 U.S.C. § 2252A- certain activities relating to material constituting or containing child p**nography
18 U.S.C. § 2256- Definitions
18 U.S.C. § 2260- Production of sexually explicit depictions of a minor for importation into the United States

Images of child p**nography are not protected under First Amendment rights, and are illegal contraband under federal law. Section 2256 of Title 18, United States Code, defines child p**nography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (someone under 18 years of age). Visual depictions include photographs, videos, digital or computer generated images indistinguishable from an actual minor, and images created, adapted, or modified, but appear to depict an identifiable, actual minor. Undeveloped film, undeveloped videotape, and electronically stored data that can be converted into a visual image of child p**nography are also deemed illegal visual depictions under federal law.

Notably, the legal definition of sexually explicit conduct does not require that an image depict a child engaging in sexual activity. A picture of a naked child may constitute illegal child p**nography if it is sufficiently sexually suggestive. Additionally, the age of consent for sexual activity in a given state is irrelevant; any depiction of a minor under 18 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct is illegal.

Federal law prohibits the production, distribution, reception, and possession of an image of child p**nography using or affecting any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce (See 18 U.S.C. § 2251; 18 U.S.C. § 2252; 18 U.S.C. § 2252A). Specifically, Section 2251 makes it illegal to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for purposes of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Any individual who attempts or conspires to commit a child p**nography offense is also subject to prosecution under federal law.

Federal jurisdiction is implicated if the child p**nography offense occurred in interstate or foreign commerce. This includes, for example, using the U.S. Mails or common carriers to transport child p**nography across state or international borders. Additionally, federal jurisdiction almost always applies when the Internet is used to commit a child p**nography violation. Even if the child p**nography image itself did not travel across state or international borders, federal law may be implicated if the materials, such as the computer used to download the image or the CD-ROM used to store the image, originated or previously traveled in interstate or foreign commerce.

In addition, Section 2251A of Title 18, United States Code, specifically prohibits any parent, legal guardian or other person in custody or control of a minor under the age of 18, to buy, sell, or transfer custody of that minor for purposes of producing child p**nography.

Lastly, Section 2260 of Title 18, United States Code, prohibits any persons outside of the United States to knowingly produce, receive, transport, ship, or distribute child p**nography with intent to import or transmit the visual depiction into the United States.

Any violation of federal child p**nography law is a serious crime, and convicted offenders face severe statutory penalties. For example, a first time offender convicted of producing child p**nography under 18 U.S.C. § 2251, face fines and a statutory minimum of 15 years to 30 years maximum in prison. A first time offender convicted of transporting child p**nography in interstate or foreign commerce under 18 U.S.C. § 2252, faces fines and a statutory minimum of 5 years to 20 years maximum in prison. Convicted offenders may face harsher penalties if the offender has prior convictions or if the child p**nography offense occurred in aggravated situations defined as (i) the images are violent, sadistic, or masochistic in nature, (ii) the minor was sexually abused, or (iii) the offender has prior convictions for child sexual exploitation. In these circumstances, a convicted offender may face up to life imprisonment.

It is important to note that an offender can be prosecuted under state child p**nography laws in addition to, or instead of, federal law.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was on the scene at the Brandon Mall following a report of a possible shooting on Saturday shortly after 3:30 p.m.

HCSO said it was not an active shooter situation and that the mall was secured.

Officials said once on scene, deputies reviewed surveillance footage and discovered a woman, with a man and two kids, had reached for something in her purse, and it appeared she may have accidentally fired a gun in her bag, striking the countertop at Charleys Cheesesteaks.

"People love to call these accidental shootings. This is not an accident. This is negligence," said Ryan G. Thomas, the co-founder of Warrior Cloud and fi****ms instructor.

Thomas said he’s trained around 82,000 people in Hillsborough County on properly handling fi****ms.

"I would guarantee that the person that had the firearm at the mall, they probably did not have the firearm inside of a proper holster," explained Thomas.

At this time, HCSO said no one was injured in this isolated incident, and the mall chose to close for the remainder of the day.

"Every day, our deputies put their lives on the line to protect our communities, and today was no different," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "Our agency's dedication and swift response to this incident demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our citizens."

The sheriff's office located the woman involved and said, at this time, there are no charges. The investigation is ongoing.

"The consequences of using a firearm in an inappropriate way are very, very high. You should be willing to invest time, energy, and money to make sure that you know how to use this powerful device in the right way," said Thomas.