Texas honours murdered Indian-American Sikh sheriff's deputy

Tens of thousands of people across Texas on Sunday honoured a widely respected Sikh sheriff's deputy who was murdered on duty in a killing that triggered an outpouring of public grief.

Sandeep Dhaliwal, one of the first sheriff's deputies in the United States to wear a traditional Sikh turban on duty, was shot from behind Friday while conducting a traffic stop near Houston.

A moment of silence was held at the Houston Texans football game against the Carolina Panthers, while mourners gathered outside churches across Harris County, where he served.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters that Dhaliwal, 41, was returning to his patrol car when a man shot him multiple times with a pistol.

Gonzalez paid tribute to Dhaliwal, a father of three, saying that "he wore the turban, he represented his community with integrity, respect and pride."
"Everyone who knew him admired him greatly."