A driver shot and killed a Houston-area deputy during an early Sunday morning traffic stop and then got back in his vehicle and drove off, authorities said.
Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap identified the slain deputy as Cpl. Charles Galloway, 47, at a news conference.
Houston police will handle the investigation. Police Chief Troy Finner said witnesses saw a man get out of his vehicle and fire multiple shots at the deputy before driving off.
"This is senseless. It makes no sense whatsoever," Finner said. Heap added that Galloway had no time to respond or defend himself.
The suspect was not in custody. To the gunman, Finner said: "The best thing you can do is turn yourself in."
Galloway had been with the constable's office for about 12 and a half years, Heap said. The deputy mentored and trained numerous younger officers, who Heap said were "broken up" over the death.
"He was the one who was sitting in the front seat with them. He was the one that was teaching them what to do and how to get home safely to their families. And here we are this evening with the roles reversed," Heap said.
Galloway is survived by a daughter and a sister, Heap said.
--The Associated Press