In an incident that highlights the grave issue of domestic violence, a Houston Police Department officer has been relieved of duty after allegedly shooting his wife in the face on Monday morning.
Houston police officer shoots wife in face and relieved of duty, chief says – Houston Public Media https://t.co/EDSbBViEId via @GoogleNews
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The accused officer, Galib Waheed Chowdhury, 31, has been charged with aggravated assault of a family member with serious bodily injury. Chowdhury, who joined the Houston Police Department in March 2021, was reportedly off-duty at the time of the incident.
Police had responded to a shooting call at the couple’s home shortly after midnight. Upon arrival, officers found his wife had been shot in the face by the officers.
According to reports, Chowdhury claimed in court that he was trying to defend their home against an intruder when the tragic incident occurred. He tried to explain that his wife, Sadaf Iqbal, 30, got in the way of his gun when he was trying to shoot the intruder.
However, officers investigating the case found no signs of a break-in, casting doubt on the officer’s version of events. The doubts were heightened when officers realized that Iqbal received several angry messages prior to the incident and had defensive wounds on her face, suggesting a different narrative.
Iqbal, who sustained severe injuries, including a gunshot wound to her right eyeball, a fractured cheekbone, and multiple hand and finger fractures, initially described the incident as an accident due to fear. However, her family now insists that it was a deliberate attempt on her life and demands that the charges against Chowdhury be upgraded to attempted murder.
After his Monday arrest, he was released on bail pending a court appearance on Aug. 22. His release comes with strict conditions, including GPS monitoring and a protective order preventing any contact with his wife who had to undergo surgery.
Houston Police Department Chief Troy Finner emphasized the seriousness of domestic violence in a news briefing, stating, “Domestic violence is very serious in our community and also around the nation. And we stand here at HPD to do everything that we can to prevent that.”
The HPD Special Investigations Unit, Internal Affairs Division, and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office are actively investigating the incident as authorities promised to treat the case with impartiality.
“We have to abide by the law and then we have to go by our policy. Nobody can do anything here that is not becoming of a police officer and not be disciplined in some kind of way,” Dinner added.
