An off-duty police officer fired her pistol at a man who was burglarizing her car at her south Houston home Thursday morning, police said.

Police don't believe the burglar was shot, but he remains at large. The burglar reportedly "turned toward her in a threatening manner" before she fired her weapon, HPD Lt. Larry Crowson said.

Crowson said she was shaken up after the ordeal.

"It's a frightening experience for not only an officer, but any citizen in the house," he said.

"So she is a little shaken up, but I think she'll be OK."

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It's not known if anyone else was home at the time.

The officer said she was inside her home near the intersection of Flamingo and Sharondale around 2 a.m. when she saw the burglar inside her car on surveillance cameras. The man appeared to be rummaging through her glove box looking for things to steal.

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The officer then grabbed her pistol and confronted the burglar, whose movements caused the officer to fear for her safety.

She fired one round toward the man, and he ran south into the neighborhood. Police couldn't find blood on the scene, and they weren't able to locate the man overnight.

The officer said she didn't get a clear look at the man. Investigators are working on enhancing the video surveillance footage to get a clearer description of the suspect.

At least one other resident said her car was burglarized that night.

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.