Deputy Dante Zepeda is recovering at home after being shot during a Friday night gunfight.
HUMBLE, Texas — A Harris County Precinct 4 deputy wounded in a Friday night shootout at a Humble-area apartment complex has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home, officials said Monday.
Deputy Dante Zepeda was shot in the hip and upper arm after deputies responded to reports of a man firing a weapon at Pavilion at the Groves on Woodland Hills Drive. A second deputy was also injured, and a 38-year-old suspect was arrested after a SWAT response.
The call began around 10 p.m. Friday when deputies were dispatched to the apartment complex near Woodland Hills Drive and Balmoral Bay Drive. Constable Mark Herman said deputies were ambushed when they arrived. The suspect opened fire, several deputies returned fire and the man retreated into an apartment, officials said. Zepeda was taken first by patrol vehicle to Houston Northeast Hospital, then transferred to a downtown trauma center.
Officials said Zepeda underwent surgery during the weekend before being released Sunday evening. Herman said the deputy’s recovery was continuing but called his release an important sign of progress. “Deputy Zepeda’s strength, courage and determination have been nothing short of inspiring,” Herman said. The second deputy, whose name was not released, was treated at the scene and later released.
The suspect was taken into custody after SWAT officers deployed CS gas and a K-9 unit helped subdue him, officials said. He was treated for a K-9 bite to the leg. Authorities said he would be taken to the county jail after medical treatment. Officials have not released his name or said whether he has retained an attorney.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office accepted charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, according to officials. Investigators have not said what started the gunfire before deputies arrived. They also have not released a full count of shots fired or said whether any residents were physically injured during the exchange. The apartment complex was processed as a crime scene after the standoff ended.
Residents described a chaotic night as law enforcement vehicles filled the complex and people took cover inside their homes. One neighbor said her live camera showed the gunman firing toward her door before deputies arrived. The account added to the early picture of a fast-moving call that shifted from reports of gunfire to an officer-involved shooting and standoff.
Zepeda has served in the Atascocita area since July 2025, officials said. The case now moves toward booking and court proceedings for the suspect once he is medically cleared.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.