Veteran Houston Officer Drowns in Patrol Car During Hurricane

Perez, days shy of his 61st birthday, was in his patrol car driving to work downtown Sunday morning when he got trapped in high water at I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road.

Steve Perez, a 34-year Houston police officer, drowned in his patrol car in Harvey floodwaters, a tearful Chief Art Acevedo said Tuesday afternoon. 

Perez, days shy of his 61st birthday, was in his patrol car driving to work downtown Sunday morning when he got trapped in high water at I-45 and the Hardy Toll Road.

Acevedo said Perez spent hours trying to get to his duty station in Houston downtown before his death. 

Acevedo, with tears in his eyes, said officers searched for Perez on Monday night but could not recover his body, the Houston Chronicle reports.

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