Houston: Thousands of Sikh community members are gearing up for a fitting funeral to trailblazing Indian-American Sikh police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was murdered while on duty in Texas in a gruesome killing that has triggered an outpouring of public grief.
Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, 42, the first Indian-American police officer in Texas, made national headlines when he was allowed to grow a beard and wear a turban on the job. He was gunned down while conducting a mid-day traffic stop in northwest of Houston on Friday.
Thousands of people are expected to gather at the Berry Centre here Wednesday to honour the fallen deputy’s life and legacy in a ceremony open to the public. The event will start with an hour of Sikh prayer, followed by a ceremony led by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Sikh funeral traditions will take place at the local gurdwara. Dhaliwal will then be cremated at a local funeral home later Wednesday afternoon, according to Sikh tradition.
In the last four days over USD 600,000 have been raised and donated to the Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal’s family for unforeseen expenses and to help pay for the education of his three children. He is survived by his wife, Harwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, two daughters and one son.
Baseball professional Carlos Correa met Dhaliwal’s family members Monday and donated USD 10,000 to them. “Thank you Sandeep for everything you did to help others here in Houston and Puerto Rico! Rest In Peace ???? You’ll always be remembered,” he said in a tweet.
Dhaliwal worked with United Sikhs to help organise the donation of truckloads of supplies for first responders after ‘Hurricane Harvey’. He worked in Puerto Rico, Correa’s home country, helping them recover from ‘Hurricane Maria’ in 2017.
A local Chick-fil-A restaurant honoired Dhaliwal with a missing man table, a memorial typically found in military dining facilities in memory of fallen service members.
Meanwhile, the suspect Robert Solis, 47, accused of killing Dhaliwal in cold blood won’t be released on bond. He is charged with capital murder in the death of Dhaliwal.
At a court hearing Monday, the judge denied bond for Solis, predicting a possible death penalty outcome. “It is a likely outcome that death will be the sentence here. No bond is appropriate,” said Judge Chris Morton.
PTI