Thousands attend slain Sikh officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal's funeral

Thousands of residents from Houston showed up for the daylong ceremonies on Wednesday to honour the late Sikh police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal. Singh was shot dead last week while he was on duty. Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal served as the sheriff's deputy in Harris County. 

Thousands attend Dhaliwal's funeral

The slain Sikh officer was given a traditional Sikh funeral with a procession and an additional law enforcement funeral which also included the 21-gun salute. 'Amazing Grace was played on the bagpipes as members of HCSO folded the United States flag that covered Dhaliwal's casket. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez later presented the flag to Dhaliwal's widow. In addition, choppers were also flown overhead. Here are some visuals from Houston:

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Sandeeo Singh Dhaliwal's family later headed to the Winford Funeral Home for a closed funeral. Following a final prayer by the Dhaliwal family, HCSO officers moved his casket into a hearse to escort it to the funeral home for a cremation. Other community members and mourners invited to Gurudwara Sikh National Center for the langar (Sikh communal meal). Several people came with signs that read "Always in Our Hearts," and "In Loving Memory of Deputy Dhaliwal." The services were broadcasted live on all social media handles. Many described Dhaliwal as a humble and fearless officer. 

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Everything about Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal

Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal was the first Sikh to serve as the sheriff's deputy from Harris County which is home to over 10,000 Sikhs. Dhaliwal made headlines after he joined the force 10 years ago and was allowed him to grow his beard and wear a turban on the job. Dhaliwal is survived by his wife and three children.

The incident

 It was just another day of duty for Dhaliwal when he was engaged in conducting a mid-day traffic stop in  northwest-Houston. Apparently, Dhaliwal pulled over a vehicle in the Cypress Town for running a stop sign. That's when he was fatally shot twice by one of the passengers. The shooter was seen running to a shopping centre nearby, officials said. Investigators were able to identify what the shooter looked like by watching Dhaliwal's dashcam video.

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