Man kills wife on call with 911 while 3-year-old son in the home, Texas cops say
A Texas man was arrested after police say he shot and killed his wife while she was on the phone with 911.
James Paul Anderson, 37, was charged with murder, according to a news release from the Houston Police Department.
A call to 911 was made Sunday, Sept. 24, just before 5 p.m. The woman told dispatchers her husband was threatening to shoot her, according to the news release.
“The call-taker reported hearing a gunshot while on the phone with the woman,” the release said.
When officers arrived at the home, Anderson refused to go outside but let the couple’s 3-year-old son come out, police said.
Houston Police Department Hostage Negotiation and SWAT teams were called to the home. Authorities tried for hours to get Anderson to come out, before he finally surrendered, police said.
“Our negotiators do a really good job of talking to an individual and trying to get him to understand, even with what’s already happened, that it’s not the end of the world, you know, to come out peacefully,” HPD SWAT Commander Craig Bellamy told KHOU.
When police went inside, they found Anderson’s wife unresponsive on the floor with a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
The couple’s son was taken to a hospital to be checked out.
Anderson was the special education department chair for Santa Fe Middle School, according to KTRK. He has since been placed on administrative leave.
“Cleveland ISD is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic domestic violence situation involving one of the staff members at Santa Fe Middle School, James Anderson. Mr. Anderson has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. We would like to reiterate that this situation occurred domestically and did not take place on campus. Additional counseling and crisis support has been made available for students and staff at Santa Fe Middle School,” a statement from the Cleveland Independent School District said.
It’s not clear what led up to the shooting, but police said they have had reports of domestic violence from the home in the past, according to KHOU.
If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
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