HOUSTON --

A Houston police officer was shot in northwest Houston on Monday when he confronted burglary suspects, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Houston police said Officer Frank Pierce, 39, was shot at the Alexan at Bunker Hill apartment complex in the 9700 block of Pine Lake Drive near Witte Road shortly before noon.

Officials said Pierce was off-duty doing his laundry at his apartment complex when he stumbled onto a burglary in progress.

Pierce confronted one of the burglars and ordered him to the ground, investigators said. A second burglar then walked up and shot Pierce once in the side, according to police.

The officer returned fire, but the suspects were not injured, investigators said.

Pierce was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he is listed in critical but stable condition following surgery.

"We're very optimistic. The doctors are optimistic, but the only thing I can comment on is he is stable but critical," said HPD Acting Chief Charles McClellan. "I'm very impressed by Officer Pierce. Even though he was shot, in pain and being treated in the emergency room, he had an incredibly accurate description and detail of the suspects -- what happened, how it happened -- and to give that information to his coworkers to make sure we could follow all those leads to get these suspects in custody."

Jersey Village police said they arrested the two suspects inside the Exclusive Furniture store in the 17300 block of the Northwest Freeway after the suspects wrecked a pickup truck that was the subject of a manhunt.

The suspects, described as teenagers, tried to sneak in a back door of the store, but were apprehended by officers following them, officials said.

The truck was found on Jones Road at Highway 290, according to police.

The suspects' names were not released.

The Spring Branch Independent School District put nearby Woodview Elementary School on lockdown as a precaution. The lockdown was lifted by 2 p.m.

Pierce works off-duty at the apartment complex as a security guard.

"He was at an apartment complex doing his laundry, saw a burglary in progress and stepped in to do something about it. That kind of action you want from a police officer," said Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

Pierce has been with the Houston Police Department for three years. Prior to that, he was with the West University Police Department for 10 years.

His wife, Angela, is a police officer with the Jersey Village Police Department. The couple has three children.

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