A Texas deputy constable, Maher Husseini, was fatally shot while driving to work in his personal vehicle at an intersection in Houston on Tuesday. The gunman walked up to the deputy’s car and fired multiple shots before fleeing the scene. The motive for the shooting and whether the deputy was targeted are still under investigation, according to Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz.
Following the shooting, the suspect led authorities on a chase that ended in the waters off Galveston, approximately 60 miles away. The suspect attempted to evade arrest by swimming away but was captured with the assistance of a marine unit from the Port of Galveston Police Department.
Husseini, who had been with the Harris County constable since 2021, was not in uniform at the time of the shooting. He was rushed to a Houston hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman.
The identity of the suspect in custody was not immediately disclosed by authorities. The pursuit involving the suspect ended in a crash before he attempted to escape by swimming away, eventually being apprehended by officers in the water and taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott expressed his condolences, stating, “The dangerous criminal who ambushed and murdered Deputy Constable Husseini will have the full weight of the law brought down upon him.” The tragic incident has deeply impacted the community, with law enforcement officials mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant.
