A Texas cop was arrested Saturday for killing his brother, also a cop, who was conducting a welfare check at his home.
Stagecoach police officer Robert Lee, 59, initially claimed to have shot a burglar.
But it turned out to be his 57-year-old brother, Rocky Lee, a sheriff’s deputy at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
“Detectives also believe the initial version of there being a burglary at this residence are inaccurate and that Rocky Lee had been at the residences to check on his brother’s welfare,” the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office posted about the incident to their Facebook page.
Montgomery County sheriff’s deputy Rocky Lee, a 26-year veteran, was found dead in the bathroom of his older brother’s home in Stagecoach after Robert Lee told 911 dispatchers he fired five rounds at a man who had broken in.
However, detectives are saying Rocky Lee was checking on his brother’s welfare when he was shot and killed.
“We don’t believe there was a burglary at the resident,” Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Scott Spencer to the Houston Chronicle.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the shooting are under investigation.”
After emergency personnel arrived on the scene, Robert Lee was treated for high blood pressure and held overnight at a hospital before he was charged for murdering his brother.
Robert Lee can be heard calling police during a 911 call obtained by the Chronicle.
“I have a victim who is shot and I cannot locate him at this point. I have fired shots into this young man and I cannot locate him on my property,” he tells the dispatcher.
“I’m a police sergeant with the City of Stagecoach. This man has broken into my house and I have fired five rounds into him and I cannot locate him at this time. Please be aware of that as you approach.”
Robert Lee, a 35-year veteran with his department, is accused of killing a law enforcement officer, which is usually a capital offense.
However, he was not charged with capital murder since the victim was not acting in his official duty at the time of the shooting.
