Oct. 26 (UPI) — A Texas jury on Wednesday sentenced a man to death for fatally shooting Harris County’s first Sikh deputy during a traffic stop in 2019.
The Harris County jury deliberated for about 35 minutes Wednesday before sentencing Robert Solis, 50, to death. The jury convicted Solis of capital murder on Oct. 17 following a seven-day trial in which they heard evidence of how he killed Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal.
Authorities said Dhaliwal, 42, was working patrol Sept. 27, 2019, when he pulled Solis over in the 14800 block of Willancy Court.
Following the traffic stop, Dhaliwal was walking back to his patrol car when Solis ran up to him and shot him in the back of the head multiple times.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg described the shooting Wednesday as an execution conducted in broad daylight.
“That makes him the worst of the worst, which is why we asked jurors to sentence him to death,” she said in a statement.
Dhaliwal was considered a trailblazer when he became the first observant Sikh deputy in the county’s history. Dhaliwal joined the force in 2009 at the request of then-Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia after deputies botched a domestic violence call at a Sikh home.
In 2015, Garcia then permitted Dhaliwal to serve while wearing a dastaar, also known as a turban, stating doing so “will ensure that HCSO reflects the community we serve.”
Katie Warren, one of two assistant district attorneys along with Lauren Bard to prosecute the case, said Wednesday that not only was Dhaliwal a trailblazer but he was an exceptional officer.
“Deputy Dhaliwal was a pillar of this community, and when it came to law enforcement he set the bar,” she said. “His loss is a loss that every single one of us feels. We’re glad today that this jury was able to give justice.”
Current Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a statement that they are “extremely grateful that justice has been served.”
“Sandeep changed our Sheriff’s Office family for the better, and we continue striving to live up to his example of servant leadership. May he Rest In Peace,” he said.
