For University of Houston student Abigail Trujillo, the answer came Friday at Houston City Hall: a new car.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire joined Trujillo after vowing to replace her Nissan Altima, which police riddled with bullets during a July standoff in Highland Village, weeks after the city initially told her it was not liable for the damage.
“I’m very grateful, I’m feeling blessed,” Trujillo said outside City Hall next to the mayor Friday.
“I can’t wait to watch Abigail get in her new car,” Whitmire said. “She’s a very bright student, Houstonian, and an example of Houston’s future, which means we’re in great hands!”
The Houston Police Officers’ Union also assisted in covering the existing note on Trujillo’s previous vehicle.
When asked where she’d go first in the new car, the 20-year-old told Chron, “My job!”
Trujillo was working at a retail store on July 6 when her parked car was caught in the crossfire between Houston police and the driver of a reportedly stolen vehicle, according to ABC13 and the Houston Chronicle.
Police said officers found the stolen car in the Highland Village area before a standoff with the driver, identified as Jamarcus Spates. Witness video showed the driver opening the car door and extending an object outside before officers fired their weapons.
Spates was grazed and survived, according to ABC13. Trujillo’s car, which was parked beside the stolen vehicle, was left heavily damaged.
ABC13 reported her car was hit by about 40 bullets, with repair estimates reaching roughly $20,000. She submitted a claim to the city, but received a letter saying Houston had governmental immunity and was “not legally liable” for the damage.
“Where the city has no liability, the Texas Constitution prohibits the city from paying public monies on your claim,” the city wrote in an Aug. 28 letter cited by the Chronicle. “We regret your inconvenience in this matter.”
The mayor’s office later issued a news release saying Whitmire had gotten personally involved and that the situation would be resolved “in a fair manner.”
“We’re here to serve and fix things and not damage them,” Whitmire said in the news release. “This incident will lead to better policies handling damage claims moving forward.”
The case also raised broader questions about what happens when police damage innocent people’s property while doing their jobs. Additionally, the Chronicle reported back in August that Houston continues to face a surge in lawsuits filed over car crashes involving police officers.
“Policies are being reviewed, but I was very disturbed by the entire incident,” Whitmire concluded Friday. “I was probably more upset than Abigail; that’s what’s so dang funny…you have to have more compassion and understanding.”