[van id=”us/2017/08/29/houston-police-chief-acevedo-emotional-sot-nr.cnn”]
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo gets emotional over the Harvey-related death of Sgt. Steve Perez, a 34-year veteran of the Houston Police Department who drowned on his way to work.
A veteran Houston police officer died when he drove his vehicle into floodwater covering the Hardy Toll Way, Houston Police chief Art Acevedo said Tuesday afternoon.
Sgt. Steve Perez, 60, had worked 34 years with the department, Acevedo said at a news conference.
Acevedo praised Perez’s dedication to the job. The officer’s wife had urged her husband not to go to work that day because conditions were too dangerous, as did his father-in-law, Acevedo said.
“And his response was, ‘We’ve got work to do,’” the chief said, choking back tears.
Perez, who worked in the traffic enforcement division, left home around 4 a.m. Sunday to drive to his duty station downtown but “could not find a path” because flooding caused by tropical storm Harvey had made many roads impassable, Acevedo said at a news conference.
Investigators determined Perez tried for two and a half hours to find a way, before calling a supervisor and saying he’d report to his secondary duty station, the chief said.
On Monday morning, Perez’s supervisors noticed he did not attend roll call and, after contacting his family, launched a search, Acevedo said.
The search team determined his probable path and narrowed down his last location to the Hardy Toll Road in Houston, Acevedo said. The dive team was called, but the operation was put on hold because the rescue attempt would have been too treacherous Monday night.
Our hearts are heavy, but we will get through this. #HoustonStrong pic.twitter.com/FhiyiNTDcQ
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) August 29, 2017
