The Odessa Police Department identified the 45-year-old man who was shot and killed Thursday afternoon by an OPD officer but would not release the name of the officer.
The man was identified as John Michael Humphries. OPD has not released the name of the officer who was placed on administrative leave following the shooting. The Odessa American requested the name of the officer placed on leave through a Freedom of Information request at 8:28 a.m. Friday.
Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco said over the phone on Friday afternoon that the Texas Rangers, who investigate all officer-involved shooting, won’t release the name of the OPD officer who was placed in administrative leave until the investigation is complete.
In the initial phone call the Odessa American made to Blanco, he told the Odessa American to get information from OPD. Blanco was contacted by the Odessa American after the newspaper was told by OPD public relations manager Monica Quintero: “It’s being investigated by the Texas Rangers. I’d contact them.”
The Ace Check Express located at 1305 E. Eighth St., where the shooting took place, was open on Friday. The employees at the Ace Check Express said the Odessa American would need to contact corporate for any questions about the shooting.
More than 25 marked and unmarked OPD patrol units converged at the Rock Hill Shopping Center Thursday to investigate the shooting Thursday afternoon.
An OPD press release detailed officers responded to an armed man at 3:36 p.m. Thursday at the Ace Check Express located at 1305 E. Eighth Street.
When officers arrived, police say they saw Humphries, who then evaded officers in a vehicle. Humphries drove around the commercial complex, eventually went back to Ace Check Express and entered the business with a firearm.
Humphries fired his weapon inside the business, the press release detailed. As an officer rushed toward the business, Humphries fired. The officer returned fire and Humphries was later pronounced dead by medical personnel.
The officer involved in the shooting was not injured.
A bystander who said he was getting a haircut Thursday at the Supercuts, located two shops down from the Ace Check Express in the shopping center, said he heard one gunshot and then ran to the back of the hair salon.
Court records show Humphries pleaded guilty to “lesser included offense of theft from person” on Nov. 16, 2020, to which he was sentenced to 180 days in state jail. He was credited for 127 days.
Humphries had also pleaded guilty to failure to stop and render aid or give information stemming from a 2019 arrest. He was given community supervision for 18 months with 50 hours of community service.
