Original Article
October 11, 2020
ABC

A portion of Beltway 8 has been renamed for a Harris County Sheriff's Office deputy who was shot and killed during a traffic stop last year.

Signs are already up along the Beltway near Highway 249 in northwest Harris County renaming that stretch the HCSO Deputy Sandeep Singh DhaliwalMemorial Tollway.

A special ceremony on Tuesday at the Gurdwara Sikh National Center unveiled the signs.

Dhaliwal was conducting a routine traffic stop in September 2019 when he was killed. He was the very first Harris County deputy to be allowed to wear his turban while on duty.

READ MORE: 'Pioneering' deputy dies after being shot from behind: sheriff

The death of the beloved deputy sparked massive change within the sheriff's department.

Last month, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher introduced a bill to rename a west Harris County post office to the "Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office."

The bill passed unanimously.

READ MORE: 1 year after tragic death, slain Harris County deputy's story makes it to Washington

"Deputy Dhaliwal represented the very best of our community: he worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others," said Fletcher at the time.

Sim Singh, the senior manager for policy and advocacy for the Sikh Coalition, said Dhaliwal was a hero to the community and many religious minorities who aspired to have a career in public service.

He said they are still continuing to fight for religious equality, a road Dhaliwal helped build.

"It's historic and it's a meaningful gesture to the Sikh community," he said.