Cashier shot during armed robbery at McDonald’s in southwest Houston

HOUSTON -- A McDonald's employee was shot in the stomach during an armed robbery in southwest Houston. It happened on Feb. 8 in the 10000 block of Beechnut near Wilcrest.

Surveillance video shows a mother at the McDonald's counter with her child in her arms. Feet away, three masked gunmen storm the restaurant. They put a gun to the mother's head. We spoke to the woman's husband who was sitting in the car outside.

"My wife went inside to get food for the kids. I was looking down and I heard a gunshot go off. When I looked up, I saw a man in between the tables with a gun pointing," said the witness. You can also see a 7-year-old boy playing in the video when the men stormed the place.

"My son was by the toy display, looking at the happy meal toys. He was looking at the animated cups," said the witness. He quickly ran to his mother where they ducked for cover. Right after, an employee was shot in the stomach. You can see the shooter with the gun.

"The employee who was shot was working the front register. As he was backing away, he may have been moving to slow for the suspect," said HPD Officer George Collin Craig.

The manager then was held at gun point while the gunmen cleaned out the cash register. While the robbery was happening, dad was waiting in the car and started panicking.

"I thought they shot my wife and kids. So at that moment I drove around to look for the criminal and thought I will run him over. Three came out with guns," said the witness.

The McDonald's robbery happened just hours after a T-Mobile store was robbed. That happened just a few blocks away. That happened in broad daylight with several customers inside. Shots were fired.

"They're showing a complete disregard for life at this point, they're firing weapons at employees," said the officer. Over at the McDonald's, customers are left nervous. "We eat here almost every day because I don't cook," said Germaine Duncan.

The suspects took off in a silver colored 4-door sedan. The McDonald's employee is undergoing surgery. Call Crime Stoppers with any information at 713-222-TIPS. You can remain anonymous and receive a $5,000 reward.

Robbery suspect fatally shot at credit union in Brookshire

BROOKSHIRE, TX -- An officer-involved shooting outside a credit union in Brookshire, just west of Houston, claimed the life of a would-be robber. It happened Friday afternoon at the First Service Credit Union on 5th Street near Waller Avenue.

"Two or three shots, and then a rapid succession of shots, and then there was one final shot," witness Tom Knapp said.

The credit union's CEO said an off-duty police officer was inside the building working an extra job as a security guard when a suspect entered the lobby at about 2pm. The panic alarm was triggered and the officer tried to stop the suspect.

"The officer then chased the male outside, advised him to stop. The suspect turned with his weapon. The officer engaged that person," Brookshire Police Department Sgt. Jason Whittington said.

The officer fired multiple times, killing the man. The suspect did not fire a shot. No one else was injured. David Bleazard, CEO of First Service Credit Union, expressed relief that no one else was hurt in the incident.

"You can do many things to try to mitigate the risks, but when you're dealing with money, there's always a risk, of someone who is determined, who can hold you up and put your employees' lives at risk," Bleazard said. "I never take that for granted."

The officer, who has been with Brookshire PD for just under two years, is now on administrative leave. The bank is closed for now.

"We're very concerned that our employees, having been through a traumatic experience, that emotionally they're OK, that they're physically OK," Bleazard said. The identities of the 49-year-old suspect and the officer have not been released. The investigation is ongoing.

Conroe teacher accused of leaving chicks in the woods to die

CONROE -- Conroe ISD police are investigating how dozens of chicks in the agriculture department of a local high school wound up dead. Eyewitness News has learned a former FFA teacher is under investigation.

It’s an unusual case unfolding at Oak Ridge High School. The chicks were supposed to be shown at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

"To see what I saw, it's heartbreaking," said Oak Ridge FFA student Haley Castro. Castro says she found 50 chicks Wednesday night that had been discarded in the woods near the FFA barn. She saved 13, but 37 froze to death.

Her FFA teacher, who is no longer at the school, is accused of dumping them. "It was very difficult as an ag student and being in FFA, having your ag teachers tell you love your animals and to have someone do this on our property, it's really heartbreaking," said Castro.

Parents and students tell us the teacher who'd been there for about three years had just sent a letter to students and parents saying she would not be teaching there after February 3. Wednesday night's discovery has many wondering about a motive.

"You don't do that to innocent little chicks," said FFA student Dustin Garrison. "You have them for one day and you throw them out in the woods? You just don't do that."

We are not naming the teacher, since she is not charged, but a Precinct 4 livestock officer and Conroe ISD police are both investigating the case. For FFA students, it is news that's very hard to take. "I want justice to be given to that person," said Castro.

A Conroe ISD spokesperson released the following statement: "The incident is currently under investigation by the Conroe ISD police department. The teacher notified the Oak Ridge High School principal yesterday of the resignation." 

North Houston police chase ends in shootout, killing burglary suspect

HOUSTON -- Authorities are investigating after a burglary suspect was fatally shot by a Houston Police Department officer following a police chase in north Houston.

It happened the 10 block of Joy Circle near Greens point Mall. Police say the suspect had carjacked someone then robbed a Subway store at gunpoint.

A description of the suspect and stolen car was given out, and eventually officers spotted the suspect driving north on Greens point Drive. A chase ensued and the suspect crashed out. He ran out of vehicle, exchanged fire with an HPD officer and ran off.

The suspect then jumped a fence and encountered another HPD officer. Authorities say the suspect threatened to kill that officer, and more shots were exchanged. That officer shot the suspect, killing him.

Neither officer was injured in the shootout. Authorities say the incident started in Houston but ended in the jurisdiction of the Harris County Sheriff's Office so both agencies are on scene investigating.

Harris County Attorney arrested for aggravated assault

HOUSTON -- The Harris County Attorney's Office says it is looking into the arrest of one of its attorneys who is accused of assault.

Tomball police arrested Susan Sciacca for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Friday.

Sciacca works for the Harris County Attorney's Office as an attorney in the protective services family division.

The attorney's office would not give the details on their investigation; they would only say they "are aware of the situation. Our office is reviewing this matter."

19-year-old wounded in drive-by shooting in NW Harris County

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A 19-year-old man is expected to survive after being shot in the face during a drive-by shooting Sunday afternoon in northwest Harris County, deputies said.

According to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office, the victim apparently stopped off to visit his grandmother and was walking home on North Meadow when something went terribly wrong.

“We were inside watching the game, and we heard what we thought was fireworks,” said neighbor Bruce Davenport. “A little while later, we came out, and there was police everywhere.”

“He was screaming on the ground. He was screaming and hollering, somebody help me,” said Richard Edwards, who lives across the street from where the shooting took place.

He had been shot three times – in his knee, elbow and face. Deputies did recover what appeared to be shell casings at the scene, the apparent result of a drive-by shooting.

The victim was unable to identify the shooter. Remarkably, in spite of a gunshot wound to the face, he is expected to make a full recovery.

Off-duty Prairie View police officer fatally shoots man in northwest Harris County parking lot

HOUSTON -- A confrontation between a man and an off-duty Prairie View police officer ended in a deadly shooting this weekend in northwest Harris County.

It happened just before 9pm at the parking lot of a Walgreen's on Veterans Memorial and Antoine Drive. Harris County Sheriff's Office deputies said the officer was working an extra security job at the business when a known theft suspect walked inside.

"The officer saw a suspect come into the business that had been known to pass bad checks back and forth," HCSO Dep. Thomas Gilliland said. According to investigators, the officer confronted the man in the parking lot, but the man struggled with him.

"The suspect fought with the officer," Gilliland said. "The officer then discharged his Taser, which was ineffective on the suspect." At that point, the man reportedly got into his car and tried to drive away, nearly hitting the officer in the process.

"The officer discharged his weapon, striking the vehicle multiple times," Gilliland said. Deputies said the suspect was shot at least once and lost control of the car. The vehicle crashed into a flower bed on the other side of the parking lot, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

We're told the officer was not in full uniform, but he was clearly identifiable as law enforcement. "He was off-duty, wearing a jacket that has Prairie View Police on it," Gilliland said. "Patches on both sides." No names have been released. Officials said the officer was not injured.

This case remains under investigation. So far, the officer has not been charged with a crime. HCSO will be working to determine whether the officer was justified in using deadly force.