The Houston police chief Art Acevedo has confirmed the dead of a Houston police Sgt Steve Perez, a 34-year veteran of the department, who died in his patrol car Monday night while trying to make it in to a station.
“Unfortunately in the darkness Sgt Perez drove into … the water and he died in a drowning-type event,” Acevedo said. A police dive team recovered his body this morning.
Amidst emotions Acevedo he recounted the search effort for Perez, and how his own dive team was aided by the civilian “Cajun Navy.”
Acevedo called Perez “a sweet, gentle public servant,” and said that if yesterday had to be his day, “this is the way he would have wanted to go,” in service to the citizens of Houston.