A Texas man has been convicted of the 2019 shooting death of Harris County Lieutenant Sandeep Dhaliwal. He is the first Sikh police officer in the state to be allowed to wear a turban while on duty.
Robert Solis was pulled over by Dhaliwal regular traffic stops Afternoon on September 27, 2019. Dash cam footage shows a peaceful exchange until the agent returns to the car and Solis chases him with a gun.
Major Mike Lee of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office then said that Solis “basically ambushed” Dhaliwal, “shot him and hit him in the back of the head.” A woman working in the yard at the time reported hearing two gunshots and seeing the suspect flee in a getaway vehicle.
The jury reportedly took less than 30 minutes to find Solis guilty of the death penalty charge. However, Solis claimed it was all an accident.
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“Because of my position that I had a weapon, I lost control of it,” Solis, who was defending himself after firing his lawyer, told jurors. When I tried to retrieve it, I accidentally pulled the trigger and it was fired.”
Prosecutors, meanwhile, argued that his actions were intentional.
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“This is an act. This is a choice. Prosecutor Lauren Byrd said.
But Solis, who had excellent warrants at the time, Admitted to giving a fake name when Dhariwal is pulled over. Still, he argued, “that’s no reason to jump out of a car and kill someone in cold blood.”
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Dhaliwal, who died at age 42, gained national attention in 2015 when he became the first lieutenant in Texas to be allowed to wear a turban and grow a beard while on duty. He was also the first Sikh lieutenant in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, a position he served for 10 years.
His relatives reportedly expressed relief after hearing of Solis’ conviction. They are set to testify at the punishment stage.
Solis installed for now suicide watch50-year-old court seeks death penalty, same text Prosecutor wants.
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via main image Harris County Sheriff’s Office (left) and KPRC 2 Click2Houston (right)