A Houston police sergeant with 25 years on the force was killed in line of duty after answering a call for help, officials said.
Sergeant. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters that Sean Rios, 47, was on his shift at the airport when he responded to a shooting call.
At the scene of the shooting, Rios was engaged in a shootout with a suspect on the freeway at 1:30 p.m., according to Acevedo.
It was not immediately clear what happened before the shootout, but Acevedo said Rios was injured during the exchange. Rios fled to a nearby motel, where he crashed and died, Acevedo said.
Acevedo said authorities are still searching for the suspect involved in the incident.
“We’re going to catch you,” Acevedo said. “Do yourself a favor and turn yourself inwards.”
Acevedo said the Houston Police Department is heartbroken at his death and expressed condolences to Rios’ family.
“We will never forget him and see his 4 children, family and friends through this painful loss,” he said on Twitter on Monday.
Rios’ death was the fourth line of duty death for the police department since December.
Late last year, a Texas police officer was killed while answering a domestic violence call, police said. In May, another police officer was killed when his helicopter clipped the building and crashed into a Houston neighborhood, officials said.
And last month, a 65-year-old Houston police sergeant was killed after investigating a report of “disruption” and was fatally shot, police said.
