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Sandeep Dhaliwal was a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and a father of three, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a press conference.
“He wore the turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride and he was respected by all,” Gonzalez said.
Dhaliwal was conducting a traffic stop, the sheriff said. There were two people in the vehicle. As Dhaliwal was headed back to his patrol car, Gonzalez said a man got out of the vehicle with a pistol.
“In a cold-blooded manner, ambush style, (he) shot Deputy Dhaliwal from behind,” Gonzalez said.
Two people are in custody in connection with the shooting, the sheriff said, and a weapon was found that deputies believed was used on Dhaliwal.
“It’s the worst day, the worst nightmare for any police executive,” Gonzalez said.
“This guy had a heart of gold, he treated his brothers and sisters in law enforcement as if they were just brothers and sisters. He thought of them before he thought of himself. He thought of the broader community before he thought of himself,” said Adrian Garcia, Harris County police commissioner.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement Friday saying “this tragic loss is a grave reminder of the risks that our law enforcement officers face every single day.”
“I thank the officers who bravely responded to apprehend the suspect, and I assure you that the state of Texas is committed to bringing this killer to justice,” Abbott said.
Dhaliwal was a trailblazer
Gonzalez described Dhaliwal as a trailblazer multiple times.
Prior to becoming a deputy, Garcia said Dhaliwal was an entrepreneur with a trucking business.
“When he knew that the Harris County Sheriff’s Office needed someone like him to build bridges between the Sikh community and the sheriff’s office because of a mishap that had happened prior.
Dhaliwal looked to his father and asked for permission,” Garcia said, adding that Dhaliwal sold his business to take lower pay as a detention officer and worked his way up to be a deputy.
Because of Dhaliwal, Garcia and Gonzalez said there are other Sikh deputies now.
“There’s simply no words to adequately express our heartbreak, our sadness at this time,” Gonzalez said.
CNN’s Chris Boyette, Danielle Hackett and Natalie Johnson contributed to this report.
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