Houston police made the announcement on Thursday night that they had detained a man they believe to be a person of interest in the overnight death of an off-duty officer.
The man, named by the police as Ronnie Palmer, is also charged with aggravated assault in connection with an event that happened at a Little Caesars pizza restaurant. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez verified on X Thursday night that he had been “located and taken into custody without further incident.”
At a press conference earlier today, Chief Deputy Mike Lee of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office stated that the event on Wednesday started shortly after 10 p.m. when deputies from the county responded to an aggravated assault at the Little Caesars.
“What happened is senseless,” Lee stated on Thursday. “The suspect came into the location to pick up a pizza that he had ordered.”
“He was upset because the order was incorrect,” Lee stated.
The employee had allegedly been verbally abused by the perpetrator, who “then produced a firearm and pistol-whipped the employee and then fled the location,” according to Lee.
“The employee at Little Caesars was able to identify the getaway car by make and model, color and license plate,” Lee stated.
Lee stated that the suspect’s vehicle was seen by Deputy Fernando Esqueda. Following that, Esqueda “had a phone conversation with one of the other detectives to let him know he did have the suspect vehicle in sight,” Lee stated.
Lee claimed that “our deputy apparently was ambushed” and shot many times while speaking on the phone.
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Esqueda was taken by other investigators to a hospital, where he passed away nearly instantly, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez informed reporters.
According to Gonzalez, Esqueda, 28, has worked for the department for five years.
“So much promise unfulfilled,” Gonzalez stated.
Esqueda belonged to the “violent persons task force,” which Lee described as an extremely elite group.
“He went after the worst of the worst,” the sheriff continued.
