A Harris County Sheriff’s deputy died Friday after being shot during a traffic stop in the northwest part of the county. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said they have detained two possible suspects and recovered a weapon.
Gonzalez identified the deputy as Sandeep Dhaliwal, who served as the county’s first deputy of the Sikh faith. Authorities said Dhaliwal was shot around 1 p.m. in the 14800 block of Willancy Court near West Road, according to the sheriff.
Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal beamed with pride when then-Sheriff @AdrianGarciaHTX announced he could wear his Sikh turbin and a beard while on duty. #hounews pic.twitter.com/BN3wnqYoCP
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) September 27, 2019
Dhaliwal was also the first HCSO deputy to be allowed to wear a turban and articles of the Sikh faith while on duty, according to multiple media outlets.
“At some point a male adult suspect approached the deputy from behind shooting him at least a couple of times,” said Gonzalez at 3:30 p.m. during a media briefing. In a later update, Gonzalez said based on the preliminary investigation, Dhaliwal had been ambushed.
Shortly before 4:30 p.m., the sheriff announced the deputy had died.
The deputy was a 10-year veteran and a father of three, according to the sheriff.
First responders had performed life saving measures on the scene and then transported the deputy by helicopter to the hospital.
“This deputy is well-liked, well respected and for me personally I’m heartbroken because he is a personal friend of mine,” the sheriff said, adding he feels extremely upset and devastated.
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