Hidalgo 'grateful' flags at half staff following ambush killing of a sheriff's deputy, wounding of two others

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is grateful to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for agreeing that flags in the county should be lowered to half staff following last weekend's ambush that killed a sheriff's deputy and wounded two others.

Hidalgo expressed her gratitude in a social media post two day's after the ambush outside a Houston bar on Saturday, Aug. 16.

"Thank you @GovAbbott for granting my request to order flags in Harris County lowered to half-staff in honor of the life and public service of Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Deputy Kareem Atkins," Hidalgo said in her Twitter post.

Her post included a photo of flags at half staff outside the Harris County Administration Building.

Atkins, 30, was killed and two other deputy constables, 28-year-old Darryl Garrett and 26-year-old Juqaim Barthen, were injured while working extra law enforcement at a business in the 4400 block of the North Freeway, according to local and national news reports and announcements on Constable Mark Herman's Facebook page.

At about 2:15 a.m., a patron alerted the deputies to a robbery in progress in the parking lot and the three responded, taking one man in custody but then another man opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle.

"Deputies Atkins, Garrett and Barthen are true law enforcement heroes that were cowardly ambushed while serving and protecting their community," Herman said in a Facebook post later that same day.

"Our hearts are heavy as we extend our condolences to the Harris County Precinct 4 Constables Office," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a Facebook post the day of the ambush. "They tragically lost one deputy and two more are injured after being shot early this morning."

Members of the law enforcement community escorted Atkins's body to an area funeral home. The funeral is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 25, at Champions Forest Baptist Church.

Houston police have asked that anyone with information about the ambush to contact Houston Police Department's Homicide Division at (713) 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers of Houston at (713) 222-TIPS.

Atkins, who recently returned to duty following paternity, is survived by his wife, Nadia, and two young children aged six months and two years. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.

Barthen has been released from hospital while Garrett remains hospitalized.