Manhunt underway after sheriff’s deputy killed in ambush, sheriff says

HOUSTON — A manhunt is underway after a deputy was killed during an ambush in northeast Harris County, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The deputy, whose identity hasn’t been released, was 28 years old and a five-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, according to Gonzalez. He was also a member of a task force that hunts down child rapists, homicide suspects, and other violent offenders.

“Our thoughts are with his family as they come to terms with this horrible news,” Gonzalez posted. “An active investigation is underway to identify and apprehend his killer. We will not rest until we do!”

It happened along Italian Cypress Trail, which is near Tidwell and Beltway 8.

The sheriff said this started just after 10 p.m. Wednesday when deputies received a call about an aggravated assault at a Little Caesars Pizza on Wallisville Road.

At that time, deputies responded along with investigators, who were out working a 12-hour shift to help with post-storm patrols. The sheriff said that an employee at the pizza place had been attacked after a customer had come and was upset that his order was incorrect.

The sheriff said the attacker pistol-whipped the employee before he took off.

However, the employee could identify the attacker’s vehicle by make, model, and license plate. Deputies then put a call out and all other detectives working started to look for the suspect vehicle.

One of the detectives put the license plate into the “FLOCK” camera system and saw that the suspect vehicle had a history of hits in the system in a specific location, the sheriff said. Deputies went to that location but did not find the car.

After detectives did not find the attacker at that location, they broke away. However, the sheriff said one of the deputies went back to the location where he thought the attacker might be.

The deputies then reported that he found the suspect’s vehicle but not the attacker, the sheriff said. As he was calling in the vehicle, that is when the detective was ambushed.

Other detectives went to the location and found the deputy’s undercover vehicle riddled with bullet holes, the sheriff said. The deputy had been shot multiple times.

He was rushed to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the sheriff said.

At this time, deputies have two locations where SWAT teams are set up. The sheriff said they have a good idea of who the gunman is and they believe they will have him in custody soon.