A 42-year-old Indian American cop, who was the first turbaned Sikh police officer in Texas, died on Friday after he was shot on the back of his head while conducting a regular traffic stop. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh also expressed shock at the killing of Indian origin officer in the US.
Texas lost its Hero
Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was 42, was shot ruthlessly in an ambush attack on Friday near Houston in the US state of Texas. Officials reported that he was gunned down while conducting a mid-day traffic stop in the northwest of Houston on Friday.
The driver remained in the car. The deputy started to head back to his patrol vehicle, and within three to five seconds, the door on the driver’s side of the stopped car opened and the driver, brandishing a gun, ran up behind the deputy and “basically ambushed” him, shooting him in the back of the head, Major Mike Lee of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
A Harris County resident sent us a video of fallen Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal.
“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
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) September 28, 2019
The officials have recovered a gun that was used in the incident. A woman who was sitting next to the criminal happens to be the passenger in the suspect’s car was also taken into custody. However, there was no reason for a possible motive for the shooting.
Sikh Indian-American officer
Sandeep is the same guy who made a headline in 2015 for being allowed to grow a beard and wear a turban while being on a duty. He was a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s office and its first Sikh deputy. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is the biggest in the country to have “a full-time Sikh American officer”.
For this bizarre incident, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted, “Deeply grieved to learn of the shooting of Deputy Sheriff Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a Sikh Indian-American officer in Houston. We have just visited that city. My condolences to his family.”
Deeply grieved to learn of the shooting of Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a Sikh Indian-American officer in Houston. We have just visited that city. My condolences to his family. https://t.co/BBUJOFcjB8
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 28, 2019
Punjab Chief Minister also wrote, “Deeply anguished to learn of the ruthless killing of Deputy Sheriff of Harris County, Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal.”
Deeply anguished to learn of the ruthless killing of Deputy Sheriff of Harris County, Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. He represented the Sikh community with pride and was the first turbaned police officer of America. My condolences to his family. RIP. pic.twitter.com/tkizjEgvMQ
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) September 28, 2019
