HOUSTON, TX – A San Jacinto Precinct 1 Deputy Constable has been shot and killed while working an off-duty job at a local mall.
Escort of Fallen San Jacinto County Constable Deputy Neil Adams to Medical Examiner’s Office https://t.co/yV6Gc2qyD5
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) February 24, 2022
On February 23rd, off duty San Jacinto Precinct Deputy Constable Neil Adams was working security at the PlazAmericas Mall in southwest Houston. At some point, Deputy Constable Adams confronted the 35-year-old suspect, Czyz Harrison, and some type of altercation ensued.
During the altercation, Harrison was somehow able to disarm Deputy Constable Adams and used the gun to kill the deputy. Harrison then walked into the food court as officers with the Houston Police Department were responding to a report of an officer down.
When Houston Police Officers T. Salameh and M. Nasser entered the mall, they confronted Harrison who was still in the food court armed with a knife. As the officers challenged Harrison, he charged at them with the knife still in his hands.
"My husband always said that you can either be a sheep or sheepdog, and I want everybody to pray for all the sheepdogs out there that are protecting everybody…"
– Dee Dee Adams, wife of fallen San Jacinto County Deputy Constable Neil Adams pic.twitter.com/Ttq06DZlE8
— Houston Police Officers' Union (@HPOUTX) February 24, 2022
At a press conference, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner reported:
“He [Harrison] had a sharp-edged weapon aimed at the officers. Two officers fired upon him, striking him. The suspect later died at the hospital.”
The officers opened fire, striking Harrison who fell to the ground. Instead of staying there, Harrison allegedly got back up and attempted to flee which led officers to use their Taser which had little effect.
Officers moved in and reported that Harrison continued to physically resist their efforts at detaining him. Despite his resistance, officers were able to secure him in handcuffs and he was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Houston Officers Salameh and Nasser have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation which is normal procedure for these incidents. The investigation is being handled jointly by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the Houston Police Department.
San Jacinto Precinct 1 Constable Roy Rogers spoke about the type of man and law enforcement officer Deputy Constable Adams was. He said:
“Neil was dedicated, he was a true family man and did things the right way. He wanted to treat people right, he wanted to do the right thing…
“It’s a tough time for all of us. Neil was a really good friend of mine. Neil was the kind of guy you’d want to go hunting and fishing with. He was that kind of person. He was real people, a dedicated professional.”
Chief Finner added:
“I ask that everybody pray for this beautiful family, pray for law enforcement, pray for our cities, our counties, and our nation. He’s [Adams] a hero. He’s a hero. And we want to honor him.”
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush noted the deputy’s loss on Twitter:
“Deputy Neil Adams was known and loved by all in his community. Yesterday, he was brutally and senselessly murdered while working an extra shift to serve Texans.
“He was attacked because of the badge he proudly wore.”
Deputy Neil Adams was known and loved by all in his community. Yesterday, he was brutally and senselessly murdered while working an extra shift to serve Texans.
He was attacked because of the badge he proudly wore. pic.twitter.com/gO3YUTSkvz
— George P. Bush (@georgepbush) February 24, 2022
Constable Deputy Adams’ wife, DeeDee, was able to speak about her husband after learning of his death. She said:
“I just wanted to say that my husband always said that you can either be a sheep or a sheepdog, and I want everybody to pray for all the sheepdogs out there that are protecting everybody…that get a bad rap, and they just want to protect. That’s what they want to do in their heart, and everybody’s turned their back on them, and everybody should pray for all of them because they’re there for you.”
Deputy Constable Adams is the third law enforcement officer that has been killed in the line of duty in the Houston area since the start of 2022.
Police veteran sounds the alarm: “Make no mistake – there is a war on cops right now in America”
Her bold statement comes as the nation saw 13 officers from different agencies shot in the line of duty in 24 hours.
The spokeswoman, Betsy Brantner Smith, also sits on the Board of Advisors for Law Enforcement Today.
She spoke to Fox News while reacting to the latest string of violence against police officers. Smith said:
“This is what we call the war on cops. We [police] are constantly attacked, and we are either attacked doing very simple things – traffic stop, responding to a 911 call, a domestic. All of that.”
Arizona, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Mexico all saw police officers shot during 24 hours. Nine of the officers shot were in Phoenix where they were ambushed by an armed subject.
In that case, Phoenix police officers responded to a shooting at a home near Broadway Road and 51st Street. Responding officers moved in when they learned that there was a woman who was critically injured.
They then saw the suspect, Morris Richard Jones, wave them in.
The officer thought Jones was someone who was trying to get the woman help and moved in.
That’s when Jones opened fire striking the first officer several times. Later during the ensuing standoff, an infant was placed on the front porch in a carrier.
As officers moved in to rescue the baby, Jones opened fire again striking additional officers. Officers who were not shot during the incident were injured when they were struck by shrapnel.
Thankfully, the nine officers who were injured during this all received non-life-threatening injuries. Jones was found later after he committed suicide.
In Maryland, two police officers were shot and wounded when two officers from the Frederick Police Department responded to a man acting strangely in the area of Key Parkway and Waverly Drive.
As officers responded, dispatchers advised them the suspect was armed.
Shortly after the officers arrived on the scene, the suspect, identified as Dominque Lewis, began to walk away from the officers when they ordered him to show them his hands.
As he walked away, he abruptly turned around and opened fire on the officers with a .45 caliber handgun, striking them in the torso area.
The officers were able to return fire, striking Lewis in the torso area. All three were transported to a local hospital and thankfully both officers have already been released.
Lewis is expected to recover, and he faces several charges, including the attempted murder of a police officer.
In New Mexico, another police officer was shot and wounded, this time during a vehicle pursuit. This incident started when the New Mexico State Police Officer responded to a female who had locked herself in a bathroom.
When the officer arrived at the scene, the woman, later identified as Alanna Martinez, had gotten into a vehicle with her boyfriend, Caleb Elledge.
The officer approached the pair to ensure they were okay when Elledge allegedly rammed the officer’s marked police vehicle and sped away from the area.
The officer pursued Elledge and ended up performing a PIT maneuver to end the vehicle pursuit. When both vehicles stopped, Elledge allegedly exited his vehicle and opened fire on the officer, striking him in the neck. The officer was able to return fire as Elledge and Martinez fled the area on foot.
The officer was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for what appears to be non-life-threatening injuries. Both Elledge and Martinez were taken into custody on February 12th without incident.
Then in Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia Police SWAT officer was shot during a search warrant. Fox 29 reports that the SWAT team breached the apartment and were met with gunfire from one of the suspects inside.
One of the SWAT officers was struck when the suspect fired his weapon, but thankfully, the rounds impacted his bullet-resistant vest which stopped them.
Thankfully, the officer was not severely injured from the attack and the suspect was taken into custody.
Smith noted the significant increase in violence towards police officers as her reasoning for claiming there is a war on police. She said that while police have always known there is a risk they may be killed every time they walk out the door, it is seemingly worse now because of anti-police rhetoric. She said:
“When you constantly tell people that this one entity – somebody in a blue or a bright green uniform – is dangerous to you and that you should resist them, of course, we’re going to have increased attacks on law enforcement. And unfortunately, not only has it become a big media issue, but it’s become a huge political issue.”
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