Vigil held in Wolverhampton for tragic US sheriff
Dozens of people turned out to pay their respects at a vigil for a police officer brother of a Wolverhampton councillor killed on duty in the US.
The vigil was held at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, in Sedgley Street, on Wednesday evening following the death of "trailblazing" deputy sheriff Sandeep Dhaliwal.
He made history as the first Sikh to become deputy sheriff in Harris County, Texas, and had fought for the right to be able to wear his turban on duty.
The 41-year-old was shot dead near Houston during a routine traffic stop on Friday.
His sister, Councillor Rupinderjit Kaur, 37, has represented the Spring Vale ward for Labour since 2015.
She was told of her brother’s killing on Friday after receiving a call from officials in the US.
The vigil was held at the same time as his funeral service was being held in Harris County, which was being screened by the County Sheriff's Office.
During the vigil, people lit candles, said Sikh prayers for five minutes and observed a one-minute silence for Mr Dhaliwal. His niece, Aralene Kaur, said she would "never forget his smile".
Ms Kaur said: "My brother tried his best to keep the youth away from weapons and drugs – that was his strong message.
"He tried really hard, he helped boys at school who were getting bullied, he helped children playing on the streets and finding out what else they could do.
"He also believed in being true to yourself. He said you must never compromise yourself to fit in – always be proud of who you are and be connected to your routes.
"That's what he did, he fought for six years to wear a turban on duty, he wasn't allowed to – then he was the first deputy sheriff to wear a turban.
"If he can do it, others can do it too. He did it in Texas, you can do it anywhere.
"He believed in the youth – he said they are our future, we have to protect them and he tried his best to do, get the message across. That is the legacy he left behind."
Manj Sidhu, who organised the vigil, added: "He was known worldwide – there's no words I can describe him by. He was a hero for every community.
"He will never be forgotten. He touched a lot of people worldwide and it is a big loss to the community. As today [Wednesday] was his funeral we wanted to do something."
A memorial service will also be held on Saturday at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, starting at 3pm, and all are invited.
