Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed on Friday that one of his deputies was killed during a traffic stop near Houston Friday afternoon.
Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal died after he was shot from behind by a suspect, Gonzalez said. Gonzalez confirmed that two suspects are in custody.
Gonzalez said the incident took place as Dhaliwal walked back to his cruiser during the stop.
"A male suspect exited the vehicle, armed with a pistol, and in a cold-blooded manner, ambush style, shot Dhaliwal from behind," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said Dhaliwal was the first Sikh member of the Harris County Sheriff's Department, and was known for his dedication to the community. Dhaliwal served as a deputy for 10 years.
"He was a hero, a respected member of the community and a trailblazer," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez shared a story about Dhaliwal's response during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which devastated the Houston area.
"Post Harvey when we needed the most help, he brought an 18-wheeler of people he gathered who came all the way from California to bring goods to our community," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said that Dhaliwal also went to Puerto Rico to assist the community of a colleague's family during Hurricane Maria.
A Harris County resident sent us a video of fallen Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal.
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) September 28, 2019
“He laughed and joked with all of us, and left a bright impression on my son who is deaf,” she said.
Deputy Dhaliwal is an incredible loss not only to our HCSO family but to the entire community. pic.twitter.com/EbsdFeeWXO
