A small East Texas town is grieving after a night that started with felony warrants and ended with one deputy dead and another officer fighting serious injuries. Deputy Adam Sherifi of the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office was killed Tuesday night while helping Canton Police serve warrants at a home on State Highway 198. Canton Officer Christopher Watson was shot and is in danger of losing an arm, according to a county judge. The suspect opened fire from inside the home around 10:22 p.m., and officers returned fire. He was found dead inside. Court records show he had outstanding warrants for aggravated assault and aggravated assault on a peace officer. The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation.
The community gathered at the Van Zandt County Courthouse for a vigil, and a relative by marriage remembered Sherifi as the provider and protector of his family, the kind of father and man others should look up to. A judge said he hoped Watson’s surgeons have what it takes to save the use of his arm. The two officers were doing work that happens quietly every day in every county in the country, backing each other up on a call that could have gone any number of ways.
For those of us on the Suncoast, this is a reminder of the people on shift in our own communities, from Sarasota to Bradenton, right through hurricane season and every ordinary night in between. If you know a first responder, check in on them this week. Have you ever taken a moment to thank the deputies, officers, or firefighters who serve your neighborhood? Tell us about it in the comments.
