Houston: A trailblazing Indian-American Sikh police officer, who made national headlines when he was allowed to grow a beard and wear a turban on the job, has been shot and killed in an “ambush-style” attack in a “ruthless, cold-blooded way” in the US State of Texas, a senior official said on Saturday.
Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a 10-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff’s office and its first Sikh deputy, was gunned down while conducting a mid-day traffic stop in northwest of Houston on Friday, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
The officer said Dhaliwal, 42, was taken by helicopter to a hospital where he died, a decade after becoming the force’s first Sikh and pushing for a historic expansion of religious rights in the department.
“I’m sad to share with you that we’ve lost one of our own. Our HCSO Texas was unable to recover from his injuries. There are no words to convey our sadness,” Gonzalez said in a tweet.
“We mourn the loss of a wonderful father, husband, son brother, friend, and last but not least, a Texas Peace Officer,” he said.
Gonzalez said Dhaliwal, who kept his Sikh articles of faith including a turban and beard, stopped a vehicle with a man and woman inside.
One of them got out and shot him at least twice in an “ambush-style” attack at least twice in a “ruthless, cold-blooded way”, he said.
Dhaliwal worked with United Sikhs, a global humanitarian relief and advocacy nonprofit, to help organise the donation of truckloads of supplies for first responders after Hurricane Harvey.
Robert Solis, 47, has been charged with capital murder in connection with Dhaliwal’s murder, the sheriff’s office said in a tweet. A weapon was recovered that deputies believe was used to kill Dhaliwal, Gonzalez said.
Adrian Garcia, Harris County police commissioner, implemented a religious accommodation policy that allowed Dhaliwal to wear the traditional turban and beard of the Sikh religion. Dhaliwal was married and was a father of three children.
Since 2015, Dhaliwal was the “history-making” police officer in Texas to serve while keeping his Sikh articles of faith. He was allowed to wear the turban and beard while patrolling the streets in order to bolster cultural diversity.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement Friday saying, “I assure you that the state of Texas is committed to bringing this killer to justice.” (PTI)
