Precinct 4 officials said Deputy Dante Zepeda underwent successful surgery after being struck by shotgun pellets.
HUMBLE, TX — A Harris County Precinct 4 deputy was shot Friday night during a gunfight at a Humble apartment complex after deputies responded to reports of a man walking with a shotgun and firing it, officials said.
The shooting drew a large law enforcement response to Pavilion at the Groves, an apartment complex at 15951 Woodland Hills Drive. Officials said Deputy Dante Zepeda and a second deputy were struck before the suspect barricaded himself inside an apartment. The case moved into a SWAT standoff, then into a criminal investigation after the suspect surrendered and prosecutors accepted an aggravated assault charge.
Deputies were called shortly after 10 p.m. Friday after several people reported gunfire at the complex, according to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office. Callers said a man was walking through the property with a shotgun and firing it. Deputies found the man, and officials said he opened fire on them. Deputies returned fire before the suspect retreated into an apartment. Constable Mark Herman said Saturday that Zepeda’s surgery was successful and that he was recovering. “Please continue to keep Deputy Zepeda, his family, and our law enforcement family in your prayers,” Herman said.
Zepeda, a patrol deputy assigned to the Atascocita area, has worked for the constable’s office since July 21, 2025, officials said. He was struck in the hip and upper arm by shotgun pellets or projectiles. Other deputies placed him in a patrol vehicle and took him first to Houston Northeast Hospital. He was later transferred to Memorial Hermann’s surgical trauma center in downtown Houston. Officials said his wounds were not considered life-threatening, but they said his recovery would take time. The second deputy remained on the perimeter until SWAT officers arrived and was later treated and released.
SWAT officers surrounded the apartment after the suspect went inside, officials said. They breached the door, used technology to locate him and deployed CS gas. The gas forced the suspect out of the apartment, where he surrendered. Officials said a police K-9 bit the suspect on the leg during the arrest. The 38-year-old man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. His name had not been released Saturday, and officials had not said whether he was wounded by gunfire during the exchange.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office accepted a charge of aggravated assault on a police officer, officials said. The suspect was expected to be taken to the Harris County Jail after he was released from the hospital. Investigators remained at the apartment complex Saturday to process the scene, collect evidence and review the sequence of gunfire. No residents or bystanders were reported injured. Officials had not released details about what led up to the first gunfire reports or whether the suspect lived at the complex.
The shooting happened in a residential area near Woodland Hills Drive and Balmoral Bay Drive, where patrol cars, tactical vehicles and emergency crews filled the complex late Friday and early Saturday. Residents were told to stay away from the active scene while officers worked around the apartment where the suspect had barricaded himself. The response included constable’s deputies, SWAT officers and other law enforcement personnel. By Saturday morning, officials said the immediate threat had ended, but the investigation remained active.
As of Saturday, Zepeda was recovering after surgery, the second deputy had been released after treatment, and the suspect remained in custody while awaiting transfer to jail. The next step is the filing of court records tied to the aggravated assault case.
Author note: Last updated June 20, 2026.