Suspect who Shot Texas Deputy Dead Arrested After Land and Sea Chase

A Texas deputy constable was shot and killed on Tuesday morning while driving to work in Houston after a man approached his car at an intersection and opened fire multiple times, according to local police.

The suspect, who has not yet been named, fled the scene following the shooting of Deputy Constable Maher Husseini. He then led authorities on a high-speed chase spanning around 60 miles (97 kilometers).

According to local news website, click2.houston.com, the suspect was in the area of the Causeway bridge in Galveston Bay when he drove his vehicle into the water.

Port of Galveston Police Department said several boats were called out to the scene to pull him out, and that he could be seen waving his arms while treading water for nearly half an hour.

Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said the man then “swam out about 50-60 yards and we had to use a boat and some tactical folks to grab him and a police K9 helped secure him while he was resisting the boat.”

He added that he was finally apprehended with the assistance of a marine unit.

Authorities said he was later transported to a hospital for evaluation, before being taken into custody.

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

Deputy Husseini, who had served as a Harris County constable since 2021, was not in uniform at the time of the shooting.

He patrolled the South-Central district and was recently promoted. He was married with children.

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

Houston Police said the motive behind the attack remained unclear, and that investigators are still working hard to determine whether Husseini was specifically targeted.

They are also exploring the possibility that the incident may have been a case of road rage.

Diaz described the killing as devastating.

He said: “It is an awful thing for the community, for someone to lose their life, someone that’s dedicated their life to public service. It is absolutely tragic”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed in a statement that authorities would do everything in their power seek justice for Hussein.

He said: “The dangerous criminal who ambushed and murdered Deputy Constable Husseini will have the full weight of the law brought down upon him.”

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

Newsweek emailed Houston Police Department on Wednesday for further comment.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.