A Houston manhunt concluded Wednesday evening with law enforcement officers fatally shooting the suspect accused of killing a deputy earlier in the day. The suspect, identified as 56-year-old Robert Lee Davis, also known as Christopher Davis, was wanted in connection with the deputy's death.
The incident began around 11:30 a.m. when Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesus Jesse Vargas and his partner were serving a warrant in a Dollar General parking lot. As they approached the suspect's vehicle, he allegedly opened fire and fled. Deputy Vargas was tragically shot in the head and later pronounced dead at Ben Taub Hospital. He was a 17-year veteran of the force and leaves behind a wife and three children.
Deputy Vargas was part of the U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force. Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief J. Noe Diaz expressed their condolences, referring to Vargas as a "local hero."
Following the shooting, a multi-agency search ensued, involving the Houston Police Department, Harris County Constable Alan Rosen's department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Davis was described as wearing a blue Nike hoodie with white lettering, blue jeans, and blue sneakers. The search ended near the original shooting scene when officers located and shot Davis. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
