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Guard: I didn't shoot myself
Published January 27, 2004
A BASF security guard shot in the shoulder Friday night called a televised news conference Monday to deny the wound was self-inflicted.
Robbie House, 43, of Angleton, appeared on television Monday saying FBI agents accused him of shooting himself.
House, who was released from Brazosport Memorial Hospital on Monday, could not be reached for comment.
Charles Johnson, the Houston attorney representing House, did not return calls seeking comment Monday night.
FBI spokesman Bob Dogium said the agency has to explore every avenue.
“God bless him, he can say whatever he wants to say,” Dogium said. “Is that what’s going on here? Don’t know yet.”
Freeport Police Chief Henrietta Gonzalez said she still considers House a victim and isn’t giving credence to theories he staged the shooting.
“That’s not proven up right now,” Gonzalez said. “We continue to believe this gentleman with his story.”
Gonzalez said investigators haven’t come across any reason to doubt House’s statement that he was shot by a man of Middle-Eastern descent driving a white pickup near BASF’s ammonia terminal.
Gonzalez said police haven’t come across any evidence linking the shooting to terrorism. She said the description of a Middle-Eastern shooter isn’t enough to reach a conclusion.
“He never said anything to this gentleman that led us to believe it’s a terrorist,” Gonzalez said. “We wouldn’t assume that.”
Police are continuing the search for the shooter.
House told police he approached a white Chevrolet pickup and asked the driver what he was doing there. The driver said he was taking pictures of the lights, then shot House as the security guard turned to speak into the radio on his shoulder. Gonzalez said police have not found a gun at the site, but they plan an extensive search.
“It’s really been very, very muddy, kind of nasty out there,” she said. “I’m sure we’re going to go ahead and search.”
Freeport police sent the bullet to the FBI crime lab in Houston. House was shot in the shoulder about 9:20 Friday night while on patrol at the intersection of FM 1495 and Highway 36.
Gonzalez also said Freeport police don’t have plans to arrest House on two Lake Jackson warrants stemming from a domestic disturbance Jan. 17 in 100 block of Oyster Creek Drive.
Lake Jackson Police Capt. Jim Dunlap said House got into an altercation with a woman whose daughter was having a problem with House’s daughter.
Dunlap said police reports indicate House and the woman, who are neither related nor romantically involved, began arguing, then she tried to call police and House ripped the phone out of her hand.
House is charged with terroristic threat, a class B misdemeanor, and interference with an emergency phone call, a class A misdemeanor.
“He’s a victim right now. I’m not going to bother this man with warrants,” Gonzalez said. “He’s very cooperative, which is a lot of help as a victim.”
Michael Wright is a reporter for The Facts. Contact him at (979) 237-0151.
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