Residents mourn loss of San Jacinto Co. Pct. 1 Constable deputy killed while working extra job
COLDSPRING, Texas - Several residents in the small town of Coldspring in San Jacinto County are mourning the loss of a Precinct 1 Constable Deputy, who was killed while working an extra job in southwest Houston.
BACKGROUND: San Jacinto Pct. 1 Constable deputy killed while working security at PlazAmericas Mall in southwest Houston
During a press conference with Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, the officer was identified as Neil Adams, 62, with San Jacinto County Pct. 1, who was working security at PlazAmericas Mall located in the 7500 block of Bellaire Boulevard in Sharpstown.
"Right now, I have one reserve deputy," said San Jacinto County Precinct 1 Constable Roy Rogers. "I had one full-time and one reserve, Neil was my full-time deputy."
RELATED: Witnesses describe terrifying moments when off-duty officer gunned down inside PlazAmericas Mall
Officers with the Houston Police Department arrived shortly afterward to assist and found the shooter at the food court. When they approached him, the suspect reportedly was carrying a knife and "came at the officers," Chief Finner said.
That's when the responding officers shot the suspect, however, officials say he got up and tried to flee, so they fired a taser at him. Based on a press release, "the suspect continued to resist and officers eventually were able to place him into custody."
Shortly afterward, the suspect was rushed to the hospital, where authorities say he later died.
We're told Constable Deputy Adams worked with the San Jacinto Co. Pct. 1 since 2012 and was the environmental officer for the entire county. Constable Roy Rogers held back tears during his remarks Wednesday calling Deputy Constable Adams a hero.
"He's a hero," he said. "And we want to honor him."
During an interview Thursday, Constable Rogers tells FOX 26 how devastating the news was hearing of Deputy Constable Adams' fate.
"I got a call from one of the deputies he said, ‘Neil has been shot,’ I said, ‘what?!’ He said, 'Neil's been shot at his extra job in Houston,'" Constable Rogers explained. "Neil was a big ol' [sic] boy, so he had to be caught off guard for that guy to get his gun."
Arguably more devastated, if not equally, is Constable Deputy Adams wife Dee Dee, who also spoke to the media Wednesday.
"As my husband always said you can either be a sheep or a sheepdog and I want everybody to pray for the sheepdogs out there protecting everybody," she said. "They get a bad rap, and they just want to protect us that's what they want to do in their heart everybody has turned their back on them everybody should pray for all of them because they are here for you."
Funeral arrangements for Deputy Constable Adams are pending.