Harris County Deputy Sheriff Sandeep Dhaliwal, an observant Sikh was shot and killed Friday during a traffic stop.
Dhaliwal had just stopped Robert Solis, 47, for a traffic violation and walking back to his patrol car Friday afternoon when he was shot twice, including at least once in the back of the head, authorities said.
In 2015, Dhaliwal drew attention when the Harris County department became the nation’s largest sheriff’s office to allow a Sikh to work the beat with his articles of faith, including turban and beard.
The deputy drew praise from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez for going to Puerto Rico after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
He also worked that year with humanitarian relief nonprofit United Sikhs to get truckloads of supplies to first responders after Hurricane Harvey struck the Texas and Louisiana coasts and caused flooding in Houston, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Deputy Dhaliwal is known to everybody as somebody with a giving heart,” Gonzalez said.
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