HPD Sgt. Harold Preston, a 41-year veteran, died from multiple gunshot wounds to his head and shoulder while responding to a domestic disturbance call yesterday morning at an apartment complex near the medical center.
Sgt. Preston was sworn in as a Houston police officer on Aug. 25, 1979.
Chief Acevedo also said Preston was just a few weeks away from retirement.
Officer Courtney Waller, a 3-year veteran of the force, was also reportedly shot in the arm and is expected to survive.
The suspect was identified as Elmer Rolando Manzano-Martinez, 51. ICE officials identified him as a "convicted criminal alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S."
In a statement to Breitbart, ICE confirmed that Manzano-Martinez is a “convicted criminal alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S.” That statement reads:
“Elmer Rolando Manzano-Martinez, 51, is a citizen of El Salvador and convicted criminal alien who is unlawfully present in the U.S. On Oct. 20, officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Houston, Texas, placed an immigration detainer with the Harris County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) on Manzano-Martinez after he was arrested for murder.”
KPRC-TV reports that authorities first knew that Manzano-Martinez was in the country illegally in 1989:
Sources told KPRC 2 Investigates that Border Patrol first encountered Manzano in Brownsville, Texas, in 1989. He was released with a future immigration court date. He was granted temporary protective status in 1991, and that status expired in 1994. He was issued work authorization, but that authorization expired on Dec. 20, 2000.
Manzano-Martinez has a length criminal record and history of domestic violence. Here’s an overview of what KHOU found in court records for Manzano-Martinez:
- In October 1994, Manzano was arrested for the unlawful carrying of a firearm in Dallas County. That case was dismissed after a year of deferred adjudication, according to Dallas County court records.
- In August 2000, Manzano was arrested for assault in Dallas County. He agreed to a plea of one-year probation in the case. His probation was later revoked and he was sentenced to 6 months in jail, according to Dallas County court records.
- In December 2000, Manzano was again arrested in Dallas County for assault. He agreed to a plea of one year of probation in the case. His probation was later revoked and he was sentenced to six months in jail, according to Dallas County court records.
- In May 2001, Manzano was yet again arrested in Dallas County for felony assault causing bodily injury to a family member. The charge was dismissed after two years of deferred adjudication, according to Dallas County court records.
- In December 2002, Manzano pleaded guilty to evading arrest with a motor vehicle in Harris County. He was sentenced to 120 days in jail, according to court records.
- In 2004, in Harris County, a judge issued a protective order against Manzano, but there have been no court records of crimes or domestic issues since then.