A man accused of shooting a gun as firefighters tried to help him later told police he buried a body in his west Houston yard.
Houston paramedics were called to check on the man along Sela Lane in Alief around 9 a.m. Wednesday. When they showed up, the man – who was holding his chihuahua – pulled a gun and started shooting, police said.
The paramedics immediately radioed for help from police but wrestled the gun away from the man on their own, according to the Houston Fire Department. No one was injured by the gunfire, and it was not immediately clear if the man was shooting at the firefighters or not, Houston Police Department Homicide Detective Mark Holbrook said.
Officers put the man in handcuffs and in the back of a police cruiser. That's when he told them he had buried a body in the backyard of his home, which was along Ridgeside Drive in a nearby neighborhood, Holbrook said.
Officers and homicide detectives rushed over to the home and couldn't immediately find a body, although Holbrook said experts with the Houston Forensic Sciences Center are helping to look more thoroughly in the backyard.
Crews dug up the backyard and couldn't find anything, Holbrook said. Holbrook said the man appeared to be going through a crisis and later told police he was joking about the body in his yard.
As for the gunfire, Holbrook said the man could be charged with anything from misdemeanor discharge of a firearm to a more serious felony charge, if it's determined he was shooting at the paramedics.
"Thankfully our firefighters were not injured," HFD Chief Samuel Peña said in a statement. "This is another example of the unpredictable nature of our business and the dangers firefighters can face. I'm proud of their dedication to the wellness of our community and thank God they are safe."
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