BAYTOWN POLICE DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE Lieutenant Steve Dorris Public Information Officer (281) 420-6617 steve.dorris@baytown.org Aggravated Robbery Leads to Officer Involved Shooting 2019-65637 ******** UPDATE 11-12-19 @ 1:45p.m. ********* Today, after conferring with Prosecutors from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office Major Offenders Division, Baytown Detectives have formally charged Mr. Countiss with Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Assault on a Police Officer. Mr. Countiss, who has a lengthy criminal history out of Galveston and Brazoria Counties and is currently on Parole, is currently being held in the Baytown Jail pending his transfer to the Harris County Sheriff Department’s Inmate Processing Center. _______________________________________________________ On Monday, November 11th at approximately 5:50 p.m., Baytown Officers responded to a report of multiple hit and runs in the 2700 block of North Main Street. As officers were responding to those hit and runs, at approximately 6:11 p.m., a call came in reporting a robbery at the Exxon located in the 100 block of South Alexander. At that time officers learned a witness, who followed the hit and run suspect vehicle to the Exxon, had called in the robbery. During that robbery, the suspect entered the store and pulled a handgun on the clerk, who fortunately was able to flee the store unharmed. Shortly after, the suspect fled the store where he reportedly attempted to carjack a citizen in the parking lot of the business; however, he was unsuccessful and instead fled the area on foot. As officers arrived at the Exxon, a separate witness approached the responding officer and advised him the suspect was now walking south on Seventh Street, prompting our Officer to respond to the area of South Seventh and Briarwood. Once in the area our Officer located the suspect walking south on South Seventh Street where he attempted to make contact with the suspect. As the Officer exited his marked patrol unit and began giving the suspect commands, the suspect displayed a handgun and fired at least one round at our Officer, striking the officer’s patrol vehicle. Fearing for his life, our Officer drew his duty weapon and returned fire, striking the suspect at least once in the buttock area, at which time he was able to take the suspect into custody. The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Jerome Countiss, was transported by EMS to Clearlake Regional to be treated for his injuries. On the way to the hospital the suspect attempted to escape from the ambulance, fortunately he was unsuccessful. Once at the hospital the suspect was treated, released, and then returned to the Baytown Jail where he is being held pending the formal filing of charges, which could include Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Assault of a Police Officer. This incident is currently being investigated by Detectives from the Baytown Police Department Homicide Unit and Baytown Police Department Internal Affairs Division, along with Investigators from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, all of which are customary in critical incidents such as these. The Officer is a 25-year veteran of the Department and was uninjured during the incident. He has been placed on Paid Administrative Leave, which is standard protocol in critical incidents of this nature.
