Houston authorities identify man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a deputy

By Melissa Alonso, Holly Yan, Amir Vera, Jennifer Henderson and Rosa Flores, CNN

Houston authorities have identified the suspect who they say “brutally murdered” a Harris County deputy constable Sunday morning during a traffic stop for no apparent reason.

Charles Galloway, 47, was making a traffic stop on a newer-model, white Toyota Avalon around 12:24 a.m. (1:24 a.m. ET) when the shooting occurred, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said.

“Witnesses describe the suspect as Hispanic male (and) say that he got out of his vehicle and immediately fired upon the deputy multiple times, striking him and then drove off,” Finner said.

A witness told police an “assault-type weapon” was used in the shooting, the police chief said.

“This is senseless. It makes no sense whatsoever,” the chief said.

The motive remains unclear.

The driver of the Toyota Avalon has been identified as Oscar Rosales, 51, Finner said. Rosales is wanted in connection with Galloway’s death on a charge of capital murder, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg at a news conference Monday.

Finner said authorities have video evidence of Rosales shooting the constable on Sunday, although he wouldn’t go into additional detail about the video.

A $60,000 reward has been offered for evidence leading to the arrest of Rosales. Authorities caution Rosales may go by other aliases. He is considered armed and dangerous and is known to change his appearance, Finner said.

Two of Rosales’ family members are in custody and have been charged with tampering with evidence, Ogg added. That evidence was the Toyota Avalon that was recovered by authorities, Finner said.

Ogg said once Rosales is apprehended, her office will ask a judge to hold him without bail.

Galloway was a 12-year veteran and a field training officer, Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said Sunday morning.

Galloway sometimes volunteered to work the night shift to make himself available for field training, Heap said.

Galloway is survived by a daughter, his sister and “the numerous officers here in Precinct 5 who are trained by him,” mentored by him “and who are going to miss him tremendously,” Heap said.

The Texas deputy’s death came less than two days after a 22-year-old New York City police officer was killed in the line of duty.

Jason Rivera was responding to a domestic disturbance call when he was gunned down Friday night.

While he was in the police academy, Rivera wrote that he wanted to “better the relationship between the community and the police.”

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CNN’s Keith Allen contributed to this report.