HARRIS COUNTY (WBAP/KLIF News ) – The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is mourning one of their own.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said 51-year-old Deputy Darren Almendarez was shot and killed Thursday night.
Investigators said he died from injuries sustained in a shootout with three suspects who were allegedly caught trying to steal the catalytic converter from his car in the parking lot of a grocery store on the outskirts of Houston.
The incident occurred while Almendarez was off-duty, out shopping with his wife for his sister’s birthday party on Friday.
KPRC TV in Houston reports, Almendarez told his wife to run before he approached the trio. Investigators said that’s when the thieves pulled their guns on him and started shooting.
Almendarez managed to fire back.
Two of the three suspects were shot and subsequently apprehended. A third suspect is still on the run.
Sheriff Gonzalez said this tragedy is yet another example of the senseless violence law enforcement is working hard to curb.
“We’re tired of this crime in our community. We’re tired that people aren’t even safe to go out to the grocery store. This is a cop. This is a cop that was just out with his family. It can happen to any one of us and it happened to be him,” he said.
Deputy Alamendarez was taken to a hospital where he later died. He was a 23-year veteran of the department and leaves behind a wife and children.
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