Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa said Monday he gave $10,000 to the family of Houston’s first Sikh police officer who was fatally shot in the line of duty last week.
“Thank you Sandeep for everything you did to help others here in Houston and Puerto Rico! Rest In Peace you’ll always be remembered!” the baseball player tweeted.
Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal was shot while completing a traffic stop Friday.
Mr. Correa visited the family Monday and gave them the donation, saying he felt connected to Dhaliwal because the officer had assisted with Hurricane Maria cleanup efforts in the ballplayer’s home of Puerto Rico.
“When I heard he went to Puerto Rico to help a lot of people over there, he was one of the first ones to go out there, leaving his family behind to go out there and help people that were in need back home,” Mr. Correa said, according to CNN.
“It really touched me. A lot of people in Puerto Rico suffered a tragedy with Hurricane Maria,” he added.
When told that Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said it was the first time he had seen the family smile, Mr. Correa said, “It means a lot.”
“I saw them smiling and laughing. It really meant a lot to me. To come here to bring a little joy into their lives in this moment of tragedy, it really touched me,” he said.
Dhaliwal’s funeral is scheduled for Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
Shooting suspect Robert Solis, 47, was arrested and charged with capital murder Friday. At the time he was stopped, Mr. Solis was wanted on an active parole violation warrant, the sheriff tweeted.
• Bailey Vogt can be reached at bvogt@washingtontimes.com.
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