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Court documents reveal new details in deputy's murder
FOX 26 Reporter Sherman Desselle has more after speaking with family members during a community memorial service.
HOUSTON - Athir Murady is expected to be transferred from Galveston County to face charges related to the murder of Precinct 4 Constable Deputy Corporal Maher Husseini.
Athir Murady in Galveston court
As the legal process unfolds, Husseini's family and the community gathered Thursday to grieve and honor the fallen officer.
His wife and sons received an outpouring of support Thursday night at the Arab American Cultural Community Center on Stancliff Road. Members of the Muslim community, local police, and friends participated in a ceremony and prayer service to pay tribute to the deceased officer Thursday afternoon at the Masjid Alsalem Mosque in Spring.
Deputy Constable Maher Husseini
Farouk Shami, Husseini’s father-in-law, and a well-known local businessman and philanthropist, expressed the family's deep sense of loss.
"Today, we miss him deeply," Shami told FOX 26. "He's left with two children, and a beautiful wife who believed in him, and we believed in him. So we are mourning. We just go to God."
Newly released court documents provide insight into the events leading up to and following the murder. According to the records, Husseini and Murady had a conversation and shook hands outside of Husseini’s Jaguar Security Company on South Gessner Road just 20 minutes before the shooting. This interaction was captured on Husseini's dash camera.
Police reports indicate that shortly after their meeting, Murady followed Husseini and shot him 13 times at the corner of Fondren and Richmond on Tuesday, nearly a mile away from Jaguar Security Company. Both men were involved in private security businesses. Husseini's business partner Mustafa Abushalbak revealed to FOX 26 that Murady had previously visited Jaguar about a year ago and attempted to steal business from them in New Orleans and Dallas. Murady later apologized for his actions, and the business had not heard from him since.
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The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, as does the content of the conversation between Husseini and Murady. Meanwhile, the community continues to grapple with the loss and honor Husseini’s memory.
"Maher Husseini passed away in a way that is not acceptable," Shami said. "That’s why we have the law enforcement. Really thankful for the constable and the police department."