Murdered officer had contact with suspected killer before his death

HOUSTON – The man suspected of fatally shooting a Harris County police officer Tuesday southwest of Houston is now facing charges in criminal court.

Athir Murady is charged with murder and this is the second charge he faces, since in Galveston County he was charged with evading arrest.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office confirmed to Telemundo Houston that there is evidence that Murady committed the homicide. Murady had his first appearance before a Galveston County judge on Thursday morning.

There he faces a charge of evading arrest in a motor vehicle and is awaiting remand to the Harris County Jail.

Authorities in Harris County believe Murady was the one who fired multiple shots at Officer Maher Husseini as he was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Fondren Avenue shortly before noon Tuesday as he was heading to work.

Murady, at his hearing before a magistrate in Galveston County, appeared visibly shaken by the interaction during the rescue effort in the waters of the Gulf where he ended up with his car and everything in his alleged attempt to escape from authorities.

On Thursday, it was learned that Murady will not be entitled to bail, that he will undergo a psychiatric evaluation and that he requested that a public defender be assigned to handle his case in court in Galveston. In fact, during the hearing, he refused to speak until he was represented by a lawyer.

This is how it ended up in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico

After being detained at sea, where he ended up with his car and everything after an extensive chase, Athir Murady was taken to the UTMB hospital in Galveston.

The prosecution has requested from the outset that he be denied bail.

An extensive police operation ended in the Galveston Sea with the capture of the suspect of shooting and killing an officer from Police District Four west of Houston.

According to the Galveston Police Department, the man was tracked by different police agencies to this coastal city and after a chase, he ended up in the water with his car.

This sparked an intense operation that brought together sheriff’s and Galveston police officers to capture the man.

After being located in the water, he was arrested and handed over to the Houston police.

He was then taken to the University of Texas Medical Center (UTMB) for medical evaluation, authorities said in a statement. The suspect was reportedly bitten by police dogs during the arrest operation.

The officer shot dead on his way to work was identified as Maher Husseini, who had worked in Police District 4 since 2021.

Fourth Police District Chief Mark Hermann, who heads the agency to which the officer belonged, said that after the attack, the officer was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after.

Authorities are investigating whether the fatal attack on the officer is linked to a shooting that occurred Tuesday shortly after noon near the intersection of Fondren and Richmond Avenue.

Statement of facts

Meanwhile, Houston Police Chief Jose Noe Diaz said the shooting occurred at around 12:30 p.m. in the 8900 block of Richmond Avenue and the motive remains unclear.

There were several gunshots at the scene, but it is not yet known whether they came only from the suspect or whether the police officer repelled the attack.

Diaz said this death is a tragedy not only for Police District Four, but also for the police of Houston and Harris County.

Reactions to the officer’s death:

Houston Mayor John Whitmire expressed his condolences to the officer’s family on behalf of the city in a Facebook post.

Separately, Harris County District 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones released the following statement following the announcement of Husseini’s death:

“We are saddened by the tragic and senseless act of violence that took the life of a District 4 police officer today. Our prayers are with the officer’s family and our entire law enforcement community. We stand ready to assist and look forward to swift justice.”