Baytown police officer fatally shoots woman who used his Taser against him, police say

Police investigate an officer-involved shooting at a Baytown apartment complex Monday, May 13, 2019. A Baytown police officer fatally shot a woman who used his own Taser against him, police say. Police investigate an officer-involved shooting at a Baytown apartment complex Monday, May 13, 2019. A Baytown police officer fatally shot a woman who used his own Taser against him, police say. Photo: Metro Video, Metro Video Photo: Metro Video, Metro Video Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Baytown police officer fatally shoots woman who used his Taser against him, police say 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

A Baytown police officer shot and killed a woman who authorities say struck him with his own Taser when he tried to arrest her on outstanding warrants.

The woman was identified as 44-year-old Pamela Turner. The officer, who was not identified by name, is an 11-year veteran of the Baytown Police Department, department spokesman Lt. Steve Dorris said.

The confrontation started around 10:30 p.m. Monday at The Brixton Apartments at 1601 Garth Road. The officer had been patrolling behind the complex when he spotted Turner, with whom he "had prior dealings," Dorris said.

Turner was facing charges for allegedly assaulting the apartment manager after she had posted an eviction notice on Turner's door April 24, court records show. That same day, the manager tried to get her to leave the apartment when Turner allegedly grabbed the manager's face, scratching her nose and throwing her eyeglasses to the ground, court documents detail.

Turner also allegedly slammed a log through the windshield of someone else's car days later, court records show.

Turner was charged with two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief for allegedly breaking the manager's glasses and breaking the windshield, and one misdemeanor assault charge for allegedly scratching the manager, court records show. She was not immediately arrested and was wanted on those charges at the time of Monday night's shooting, court records show.

The officer knew she had active warrants, Dorris said. The officer approached the woman and tried to arrest her when she started struggling with the officer, Dorris said.

In video of the incident, Turner repeatedly yells at the officer claiming that she's pregnant, although Dorris said it was later determined that she was not pregnant.

The officer deployed his Taser, but Turner was able to get the weapon away from him, Dorris said. She struck the officer with the Taser, at which point the officer pulled his firearm and fired five rounds, Dorris said.

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The woman was struck at least once and died at the scene.

"It's a tragic event for everybody involved," Dorris said. "Of course, our hearts go out to the families of the deceased, as well as our officer."

Dorris said the investigation was still in its early stages overnight. Investigators didn't know where the officer first approached the woman, he said.

The officer did not have to be taken to a hospital, he said.

By Tuesday morning, only orange paint on the grass, left by investigators to mark the scene, indicated what happened the night before.

Neighbor Teryn Burns said she'd been talking with the woman close to an hour before the shooting. She'd found a pair of children's shoes and was hoping to return them to their rightful owner.

"We talk to her every day," Burns said. "She's always out walking her dog. She brings little gifts here and there to the kiddos."

Other residents in the complex said they were familiar with the woman, and that she frequently walked her dog and picked up trash in the area.

"That could have been one of our grandmas," resident Johnathan Little said. "I feel like everything went wrong."

Another neighbor, Peter Donaie, said he heard the five gunshots go off "like a firecracker."

"This is just giving me more reason not to trust them (the police)," he said.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.