Houston post office named after slain Sikh cop Sandeep Dhaliwal

Deputy Dhaliwal, a father of three, was shot and killed during a traffic check on September 27. In 2015, he made global headlines when he became the first Texas deputy to wear his turban and beard while on duty.

A post office in west Houston has been dedicated to Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a pioneering Indian-American Sikh police officer who was killed in an ambush-style attack in 2019. Deputy Dhaliwal, a father of three, was shot and killed during a traffic check on September 27. In 2015, he made global headlines when he became the first Texas deputy to wear his turban and beard while on duty.

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, who introduced the renaming legislation in the US House of Representatives, said it was appropriate to rename the post office at 315 Addicks Howell Road after someone who dedicated his life to helping the community.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the extraordinary memorial serves as a permanent reminder of Dhaliwal's lifelong contributions to our community. We are grateful to Congresswoman Fletcher and the whole Texas delegation for honouring a dedicated public worker who impacted many people's lives and served as a pioneer. Gonzalez described him as a real hero who motivated everyone to love their neighbours.

According to the sheriff, Dhaliwal joined the agency as a detention officer in 2009 after feeling driven to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the Sikh community. Later, he became a patrol deputy, pave the way for more Sikhs to join the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Pyara Singh Dhaliwal, the father of the deceased police officer, thanked the people of Houston for their support. Since his son was taken away in a terrible act of violence, they have received an outpouring of love and support from the larger Houston community. They are very pleased and honoured that Sandeep is being remembered in this fashion, permanently becoming a part of the community he tirelessly served both in and out of uniform, he added.

Following Dhaliwal's death, Fletcher led the Houston delegation to present H. Res. 616, a resolution to honour the officer's life and grieve his loss, and spoke on the House floor about his extraordinary life and terrible end. HR 5317, the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Act, was approved and signed into law by then-President Donald Trump in 2020.
However, this is not Deputy Dhaliwal's first dedication. A section of Beltway 8 at Highway 249 was renamed in his honour a year after his death.