Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Edmundo Meza
Age : 42
Gender : Male
Race : Latino/a/e
Date : 08/07/2024
Location : 5700 block of Werner Street
City : Houston
County : Harris
State : Texas
Agency : Houston Police Department
Officer(s) :Officer Jillian McGowan; Officer T. Davis
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during trespassing
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/07/2024, Houston Police Department officers responded to a trespassing complaint in the 800 block of North Vista Drive after reports that a man was behaving erratically in a neighborhood described by police as having frequent criminal activity. Officers encountered 34-year-old Edmundo Meza and attempted to detain him. During the encounter, officers forced Meza to the ground and struggled with him for several minutes.
Police stated that Meza was armed with a handgun in his waistband and repeatedly reached toward it despite commands to stop. During the struggle, Officer Jillian McGowan pressed her handgun against Meza's abdomen while ordering him to release the weapon. McGowan then fired one round at point-blank range, striking Meza. Officers recovered a handgun from Meza's waistband and he was pronounced dead after being transported to a hospital.
Approximately one month later, Houston Police Department released body-camera and dash-camera video of the incident. The footage showed McGowan holding her handgun against Meza's body while he repeatedly said, "shoot me," before she fired. Meza's family disputed the police account, arguing the video showed officers had already controlled his arms and that he was not reaching for the firearm when he was shot. Jeffrey Noble, a former police chief and nationally known police use-of-force consultant retained by the family, reviewed the footage and publicly concluded that the officers appeared to have control of Meza and that the use of deadly force did not appear justified. At the time of those reports, the Harris County District Attorney's review and Houston Police Department's internal investigation remained pending.
OFFICER HISTORY
Officer Jillian McGowan previously fatally shot 54-year-old Rufino Lara in Houston on 07/10/2012. McGowan reported that Lara turned toward her with his hands inside his shirt and that she believed he was reaching for a firearm. Lara was unarmed; investigators recovered only an empty beer can. Two civilian witnesses disputed McGowan's account, stating Lara had his hands raised and was not reaching into his shirt. A Harris County grand jury declined to indict McGowan, and Houston Police Department ruled the shooting justified, although the department's internal review concluded she had acted too quickly. As of the latest available information, Officer Jillian McGowan had not been criminally charged or disciplined for the shooting. She remained employed by the Houston Police Department while the Harris County District Attorney's Office and HPD conducted their reviews. In June 2026, Edmundo Meza's family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against McGowan and the City of Houston alleging that the shooting violated Meza's constitutional rights after officers had already gained control of him.
SOURCE LINKS :
Previous Killing by officer Jillian McGowan:
https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/witnesses-dispute-hpd-s-account-of-fatal-shooting-3697666.php
