FEB 2022. Blues Vol 38 No. 2

AROUND THE COUNTRY

AROUND THE COUNTRY BRUTAL MURDER HARRIS COUNTY CORPORAL CHARLES GALLOWAY Was shot and killed during a traffic stop. He never made it out of his vehicle. HOUSTON, TX – A constable in Harris County Texas died after being shot during a traffic stop on January 23rd. The constable had been with Harris County Precinct 5 for over a decade. Law enforcement in Harris County, Texas has started a large manhunt after yet another police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty. The fallen officer, Corporal Charles Galloway, died after being shot during a traffic stop just before 1 am. According to investigators, Corporal Galloway had stopped what is being described as a younger Hispanic male who was driving a white four door Toyota Avalon for an unknown reason. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner alleged witnesses in the area saw the traffic stop and the suspect exited the car before Corporal Galloway had a chance to get out of the patrol vehicle. Chief Finner alleged the suspect immediately started firing rounds toward Corporal Galloway and his vehicle with what he described as being some sort of assault-styled weapon. Chief Finner said: “He [the suspect] got out of his vehicle, immediately fired upon the deputy multiple times, striking him and then drove off.” Chief Finner noted that it did not appear that Corporal Galloway even had the opportunity to unholster his weapon before the shots were fired. Law enforcement and medics responded to the area and transported Corporal Galloway to the Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries. Constable Ted Heap responded to the hospital and addressed the media after Corporal Galloway had died. He told the media and all listening: “This has got to stop.” The murder investigation will be handled by the Houston Police Department who has no doubt that they will bring the killer to justice. Chief Finner wanted the suspect to understand his best course of action is to surrender himself immediately. Chief Finner said: “A message to this suspect, the best thing you can do is turn yourself in peacefully.” Corporal Galloway’s murder comes only a few months after the agency lost another deputy, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Kareem Atkins. Deputy Atkins was shot to death after he and his partner were outside of a sports bar and were ambushed by a 19-year-old man. That man was located and arrested in December and charged with capital murder in the case. Constable Heap commented on the loss his agency feels after the loss of both officers. He said: “These are not assaults, these are not attacks, these are brutal, brutal murders. We have to put an end to this. We cannot have people like this on our streets. I don’t want to raise my family, my grandchildren in a country where this type of crime is running rampant.” Constable Heap said that Corporal Galloway has left behind a sister and daughter. The 12-anda-half-year veteran was assigned to the midnight shift so that he could help the agency with being a field training officer. Because Corporal Galloway was a field training officer, his loss personally affects more deputies than normal as he trained a good portion of them. He said: “There are a lot of very broken up officers who [Galloway] meant a lot in their lives because he was the one sitting in the front seat with them. He was the one who was teaching them what to do and how to get home safely to their families.” A True American Hero 22 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 23