Harvey kills Houston police officer who was trapped in his vehicle

A Houston police officer has been confirmed dead after he drowned in floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey that left him trapped in his vehicle.

The officer’s death brought the number of people killed to 15 since the storm made landfall on Friday.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner confirmed during a news conference on Tuesday that Sgt. Steve Perez died Sunday morning.


The 60-year-old Perez was heading to work when he was caught in floodwaters.

Houston Police recovered Perez’s vehicle at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning.

“He was trying different routes, and took a wrong turn,” one unidentified high-ranking official told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday.

Turner tweeted that Perez drove two and a half hours ahead of work, looking for a safer route to report for duty.

Perez’s wife said the police sergeant told her “I’ve got work to do” when she asked him to reconsider going to work, Turner tweeted.

According to Fox News, Perez worked with the Houston Police Department for 34 years.