Harris County deputy shot in ambush at Humble apartment complex

Gunfire ripped through The Pavilion at the Groves in Humble Friday night, turning a weapons-disturbance call into an ambush that left a Harris County Precinct 4 deputy shot and nearby residents sheltering as deputies returned fire. Deputy Dante Zepeda was hit in the hip and upper arm, while a second deputy was struck by shotgun pellets as the scene on the 15900 block of Woodland Hills Drive quickly became chaotic.

Deputies were dispatched at about 10 p.m. after reports that a man was firing a weapon throughout the apartment complex. Investigators said that when deputies arrived, the suspect ambushed them and opened fire, sending multiple deputies behind cover and triggering a return of fire before the suspect retreated into an apartment unit. Authorities later said the weapon was a shotgun loaded with pellet projectiles. Local reporting identified the apartment complex as The Pavilion at the Groves, at 15951 Woodland Hills.

Zepeda was stabilized at Houston Northeast Hospital and moved to Memorial Hermann Hospital’s surgical trauma center in downtown Houston for surgery. Officials said he is expected to face a lengthy recovery, and reports indicated his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The second deputy stayed on scene to hold the perimeter until SWAT arrived, then later received medical treatment and was released.

The suspect was taken into custody after a K-9 unit bit him, and authorities said he was being held at the hospital for treatment of the dog bite. He was charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer. Assistant Chief Danny Garza said the scene was chaotic and frightening for the public, but deputies were able to quickly isolate the suspect and get him into custody.

Zepeda was assigned to the Atascocita area and had been with Precinct 4 since July 21, 2025. The shooting deepened concern around a precinct that has already endured two other high-profile ambushes in recent years, including the killing of Deputy Kareem Atkins in 2021 and the wounding of Deputy Juqaim Barthen in 2025. The suspect’s identity had not been released in the initial reports, and investigators continued to review the gunfire that forced residents at the Humble complex to stay behind locked doors while law enforcement secured the area.