Suspect in Texas sheriff’s deputy shooting arrested after land and sea pursuit

A Texas sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed Tuesday morning as he drove to work in Houston after a man approached his car at an intersection and opened fire multiple times, local police said.

The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, fled the scene after shooting Deputy Constable Maher Husseini. He then led police on a high-speed chase for about 60 miles (97 kilometers).

According to local news site click2.houston.com, the suspect was near the Causeway Bridge in Galveston Bay when he drove his vehicle into the water.

The Galveston Port Police Department said several boats were dispatched to the scene to pull the man, who could be seen flapping his arms to stay afloat for nearly half an hour.

Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said the man “came out about 50-60 yards and we had to use a boat and some tactical guys to get him and a police K9 dog helped secure him as he was resisting the boat.”

He added that he was eventually detained with the help of a marine unit.

Authorities said the man was later taken to a hospital for examination and then arrested.

He was described as Asian/Middle Eastern, between 35 and 40 years old.

Deputy Sheriff Husseini, who has served as a Harris County police officer since 2021, was not wearing his uniform at the time of the shooting.

He patrolled the South-Central District and had recently been promoted. He was married with children.

The shooting left bullet holes in the passenger-side window of Husseini’s SUV. He was taken to a Houston hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Harris County Precinct 4 police officer Mark Herman.

Houston police said the motive for the attack remains unclear and that investigators are still working hard to determine whether Husseini was specifically targeted.

They are also investigating the possibility that the incident may have been the result of road rage.

Diaz described the killing as devastating.

He said: “It’s a terrible thing for a community to lose someone’s life, someone who has dedicated their life to public service. It’s absolutely tragic.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott promised in a statement that authorities would do everything in their power to bring Hussein to justice.

He said: “The dangerous criminal who ambushed and murdered Deputy Police Officer Husseini will have to face the full severity of the law.”

Authorities said the community was mourning the loss of what they described as a dedicated public servant whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence.

Newsweek reached out to the Houston Police Department on Wednesday for further comment.

The article uses information from the Associated Press.