HPD officer who exchanged gunfire with 4-time ex-con during police chase forced to resign

According to his criminal history, 32-year-old Juan Pablo Chapa is a career habitual violent felon.

"Every time he gets out of prison, every time he gets out of jail, it’s just a matter of time before he commits another violent crime," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

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Chapa bonded out of jail last year, and in no time, two men ended up dead.

"In May of 2020, he’s out on bond for another family assault charge," Kahan said. "Two months later, that’s when everything gets really crazy."

On July 22, 2020, Houston police officer Nahuel Faiura and his partner see Chapa driving recklessly and they attempt to pull him over around Old Spanish Trail and 288.

Police say three minutes later, the officers called out the suspect was shooting at them.

Faiura returned gunfire striking Chapa, who survived the shooting.

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Houston Police Union President Doug Griffith says then-Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo forced Faiura to resign from HPD.

"We have a policy that you shouldn’t shoot from a moving vehicle, unless it’s extreme circumstances and they felt officer Faiura could have backed off and just waited," Griffith said. "Had that happened, who knows who Chapa would have killed."

No one knew it at the time, but just days before shooting at the cops, Chapa allegedly shot and killed two men at the Steeplecrest Apartments at 11220 West Road.

Last August, Chapa was charged with capital murder in the deaths of those two men.

"It’s disheartening for any officer who goes out there trying to do the right thing," said Griffith. "I tell everybody, ‘We are one bad call away from losing our jobs, our career, taking care of our family.’"

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The revolving door at the courthouse has claimed the lives of law officers as well as defendants.

"Look at our last eight officer-involved shootings," Griffith said. "Seven out of eight of them involved defendants out of jail on multiple bonds."

Faiura now works for the Harris County Sheriffs Department and was unable to talk to us. Griffith spoke on his behalf.

The Houston Police Department and former Chief Acevedo declined to comment.

Chapa remains jailed with a bond set at $1 million.