Two police officers were injured and a suspect died after a standoff outside the downtown Houston Greyhound bus station on Saturday.

Authorities spotted a man carrying a weapon in his bag trying to buy a bus ticket at the station at 2121 Main around 5:15 p.m., HPD spokesman John Cannon said. There were 80 to 100 people at the bus station at the time.

Officer Fernando Meza, a two-year department veteran working an off-duty job at the station, approached the suspect as he left the station.

Meza attempted to Taser the suspect after he refused to follow commands and reached into his bag.

The Taser appeared to have no effect on the suspect, who then opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon. He fired all the bullets and then dropped the gun on the sidewalk.

Meza, who returned fire, suffered a superficial gunshot wound to the hand.

The suspect fled toward the nearby McDonalds, where he was met by Officer Timothy Moore, a 12-year veteran. The suspect pulled a second semi-automatic weapon from his duffle bag and shot Moore in the leg during a gunfire exchange.

The suspect then fled to the Amergy Bank parking garage on St. Joseph Parkway at Fannin, where he exchanged gunfire with responding SWAT officers.

Cannon said investigators believe the suspect was shot in the upper torso during one of the first two exchanges with officers.

A SWAT team was sent in to search the parking garage in an armored vehicle. Around 7 p.m., the suspect, whose identity was not released, was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound to the head, Cannon said.

The two-hour ordeal forced Interstate 45 at U.S. 59 to be temporarily closed and disrupted bus and rail service, officials said.

The two officers were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital. They were released later Saturday.

Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland and Mayor Annise Parker both visited the officers and their families at the hospital.

anita.hassan@chron.com