‘Sandeep Singh represented the very best of our community’, Sikh cop shot dead in US to get Post Office on his name

In an exceptional gesture towards the Indian community in Houston, a bill has been moved in the US Congress to name a Post Office after Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, the Indian origin- Sikh police officer, who was shot dead while on duty in September. He was the county’s first Sikh Deputy when he joined the force 10 years ago and became a national figure after convincing the Harris County Sherrif’s Department to allow him to wear a turban and grow a beard while on patrol. 

A Democratic Congresswoman has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to name a post office in Houston after Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, the first Sikh Deputy in Texas’s Harris County. The bill introduced by Texas Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher said that the post office located at 315 Addicks Howell Road be named the “Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office.” While introducing the bill, Fletcher said: “Deputy Dhaliwal represented the very best of our community: he worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others. The Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office will serve as a permanent reminder of his service, his sacrifice, and his example for us all.”

In response to the development, the slain officer’s father Pyara Singh Dhaliwal said, “The support and kindness we have received from the Houston community and people around the country has been both inspiring and comforting in this difficult time. My family is grateful to Congresswoman Fletcher for her work to recognize my son’s legacy and his love for the people of this city.”

Notably, the renowned Sikh law-enforcement officer had been fatally shot multiple times during a traffic stop in the US state of Texas. Harris County Sherrif’s Office Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal had pulled over a vehicle when someone approached him from behind and opened fire near Cypress city, told Sheriff Ed Gonzale.

Dhaliwal was a 10-year veteran in the force and the agency’s first Sikh deputy.

“He was a hero,” Gonzalez said, adding, “Deputy Dhaliwal was a trailblazer.”

Dhaliwal was taken by helicopter ambulance to the Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he died.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said he is “deeply grieved” to hear about the killing of Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, an Indian-origin Sikh police officer in the US.

“Deeply grieved to learn of the shooting of Deputy Sheriff Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a Sikh Indian-American officer in Houston. We have just visited that city. My condolences to his family,” S Jaishankar had said in a tweet.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh too had expressed sorrow over the death of police officer. “Deeply anguished to learn of the ruthless killing of Deputy Sheriff of Harris County, Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. He represented the Sikh community with pride and was the first turbaned police officer of America. My condolences to his family. RIP,” he said in a tweet.

The decision of naming the post office after the slain police is a great initiative of the US, it will motivate the Indian community over there. Further, it would encourage and inspire the youth about the dedication and sacrifice of Officer Sandeep Singh. Indian community in the US would be overwhelmed by this bill, especially the Sikh community residing in the US.