Adrian
A Houston woman is now facing federal charges after allegedly threatening FBI agents with a machete, leading to her being shot by law enforcement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Texas announced the charges on Friday.
JENNIFER JESSELLE PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ, 28, was taken into custody and charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer in connection with the April 17 incident. According to a criminal complaint, FBI agents were driving down Anderson Road in unmarked vehicles when PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ allegedly walked into the roadway holding a machete. She reportedly began swinging the weapon and moved toward two of the vehicles.
The agents activated a siren on one of the cars as PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ allegedly ran toward them. One agent opened a car door and instructed her to drop the machete, which she refused to do. When she failed to comply, the agent drew his firearm and shot her until she was no longer a threat. PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ was transported to a hospital with gunshot wounds.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000.
Witnesses reported that PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ had been brutally attacked by at least four individuals before she retrieved her machete and began searching for her assailants. It was during this search that she encountered the FBI agents. “I saw when the woman went inside the store, and she supposedly had a bag with a machete inside,” one witness told Fox 26. “She came back outside, but they were no longer there. So she went out to the road with the machete.”
This incident highlights the escalating tensions and the challenges faced by law enforcement in handling such confrontations. The case continues to develop as federal authorities proceed with the charges against PEREZ-RODRIGUEZ.
[Source: Fox 26](https://www.fox26houston.com)
[Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas](https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx)
