Deputy wounded in shooting outside Houston courthouse; suspect shot by officers

A female deputy constable was seriously injured during a shootout with an armed suspect outside the Harris County Family Law Center in downtown Houston, according to officials and local media.

The incident occurred shortly after 12:30 p.m. on Monday near 1115 Congress Street, prompting a large police response in the courthouse district. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the shooting happened outside the Family Law Center and that the Houston Police Department was leading the investigation.

According to KPRC, the injured officer was identified as Deputy Sheila Jones of Harris County Precinct 1. A 30-year law enforcement veteran and U.S. Army veteran, Jones was working as a security officer when she and three other deputies encountered a man armed with a firearm walking toward the courthouse. The deputies reportedly chased the suspect.

The suspect opened fire during the encounter, striking Deputy Jones in the back. A deputy from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office returned fire, shooting the suspect. Sheriff Gonzalez confirmed that one deputy discharged her weapon and that there is no further threat to the community.

Jones was airlifted to Memorial Hermann Medical Center, where her condition was later described as serious but stable.

In a statement, the Administrative Office for the Harris County District Courts confirmed the active shooter incident and said court operations in the area may be temporarily suspended or delayed. The office urged the public to avoid the courthouse district.

No additional injuries have been reported. The circumstances surrounding the incident and the suspect’s motive remain unknown.