Houston: Tributes poured in for Sandeep Dhaliwal, the first Sikh Deputy in Texas’s Harris County who was shot dead multiple times in the head from behind while on duty.
Dhaliwal, 42, was shot dead by the suspect, Robert Solis, 47, on Friday afternoon during a traffic stop in the county’s Cypress area. Solis is currently under arrest and was charged with capital murder.
Dhaliwal was the county’s first Sikh Deputy when he joined the force 10 years ago, and became a national figure after convincing the Harris County Sherrif’s Department to allow him to wear a turban and grow a beard while on patrol.
A day after his death, Department officers shared photographs and videos of a “community-led” candlelight vigil held on Saturday to honour the Deputy, the BBC reported.
Many residents also shared tributes to him on social media.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Dhaliwal was a “bold and groundbreaking law enforcement officer in the eyes of our county, our state, our nation, and around the world, because he sought and received permission to patrol while wearing the outward signs of his Sikh faith, including a turban and beard”.
The Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund called Dhaliwal a “trailblazer for the Sikh community”. (IANS)
