Texas officer shoots, kills 'aggressive panhandler' who attacked woman in car, charged him with knife: police

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An "aggressive panhandler" in Texas was shot and killed after shattering a woman’s windshield and charging at a responding police officer with a knife, authorities said Tuesday.

The police-involved shooting happened around 8 a.m. in the parking lot of a McDonald's on Wirt Road in Houston, Houston Police Executive Chief Matt Slinkard told reporters at the scene.

Officers had responded to an apparent male panhandler who was in the road and acting "aggressively" toward motorists and citizens in the area, the chief said. Officers also learned the suspect had a flagpole in his possession and had just smashed a woman’s car windshield while she sat inside.

Slinkard said the woman was able to get away safely but was "very shaken up."

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The first officer who arrived at the scene tried to speak with the suspect when the man drew a knife, Slinkard said.

Houston Police Department Executive Chief Matt Slinkard told reporters at the scene Tuesday morning that officers responded to a call about an "aggressive panhandler." (Houston Police Department)

The officer, a one-year veteran of the department, twice called dispatch for help and alerted that the suspect had a knife and was charging at him.

The officer discharged his firearm and struck the suspect. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

While it was unclear how many times the officer discharged his firearm, a bullet shattered the glass of a nearby McDonald's.

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Police said no officers injured or citizens were injured during the incident.

Detectives are interviewing witnesses and looking at video footage as the investigation continues.