Texas sheriff’s deputy fatally shot during traffic stop
A Texas sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed early Sunday morning during an attempted traffic stop, according to officials.
Harris County Precinct 5 Deputy Charles Galloway, 47, was gunned down around 12:45 a.m. when he pulled over a white, newer model, four-door Toyota Avalon, Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner said during a press conference.
The suspect, described as a Hispanic male, got out of the car and “immediately fired” at Galloway multiple times, then fled, Finner said.
“The best thing you can do is turn yourself in peacefully,” Finner said in a direct message to the suspect.
Witnesses described an assault-style weapon in the shooting and Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said it appeared that Galloway didn’t even have the opportunity to “respond or defend himself.”
Galloway, a 12-year veteran of the department, also served as a field training officer, mentoring and teaching rookies.
“There (are) a lot of very broken up officers who he meant a lot in their lives because he was the one sitting in the front seat with him,” Heap said.
“He was the one teaching them what to do and how to get home safely to their families and here we are this evening with the roles reversed.”
Galloway is survived by his daughter and sister.
“Corporal Galloway served with honor and distinction, and his life was taken as he served to keep the rest of us safe. Thank you for your service,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement Sunday.
“The person(s) responsible for taking Corporal Galloway’s life will be found and brought to justice. It is just a matter of time. There is no place you can hide.”
