Houston: Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, an Indian-American Sikh police officer who won national attention for gaining permission to wear a turban as part of his uniform, died after being fatally shot multiple times during a traffic stop in the US state of Texas. Harris County Sherrif’s Office Deputy Dhaliwal, 42, was shot while conducting a traffic stop, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. “He pulled over a vehicle when someone approached him from behind and opened fire near Cypress city,” Gonzalez said.
Dhaliwal, a 10-year veteran of the department, stopped a vehicle with a man and woman inside and one of them got out and shot him "ambush-style" at least twice in a "ruthless, cold-blooded way." The shooter was seen running to a shopping centre nearby, officials said. “He was a hero,” Gonzalez said. He was taken by helicopter ambulance to the Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he died. Authorities detained a possible suspect, the sheriff tweeted.
According to the media report, the dashcam video showed Dhaliwal and the suspect, still in his car, having a conversation with no sign of confrontation. A few seconds after Dhaliwal returned to his squad car, the suspect ran up and shot him. Dhaliwal was married and a father of three children. "Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal was a trailblazer. He was an example for many. He represented his community with respect and pride," said Commissioner Adrian Garcia. "Deputy Dhaliwal is known to everybody as someone with a giving heart," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez recounted Dhaliwal’s efforts after Hurricane Harvey in Texas in August 2017, and how he went to Puerto Rico after the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria in September that year. "Post (Hurricane) Harvey, when we needed the help most, he brought an 18-wheeler of people that he gathered together, that came all the way from California to deliver goods to our community." 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. Four years ago, the then Sheriff implemented a policy to allow Dhaliwal to wear turban and beard for the first time while patrolling Harris County streets.
Policy changes like that at the Harris County Sheriff Office and other law enforcement agencies across the country aim to combat this stigma while also giving qualified men and women a chance to serve the community. Since 9/11, misperceptions about Sikhs' religiously mandated turbans and beards have led to an increase in discrimination against the community. Dhaliwal worked with United Sikhs, a global humanitarian relief and advocacy nonprofit, to help organize the donation of truckloads of supplies for first responders after Harvey.
