On Tuesday morning, Sergeant Harold Preston and two other Houston police officers responded to a domestic disturbance, police say. After speaking with Manzano’s estranged wife, the officers and Manzano’s 14-year-old son approached the apartment. Manzano allegedly shot at the group, killing Sgt. Preston, and wounding Officer Courtney Waller and his own son.
Manzano was also struck in the abdomen by return fire and is hospitalized in Houston.
Despite Manzano’s criminal history and jail time, he does not seem to have been identified as a candidate for deportation. It is unclear as to whether ICE was notified after Manzano’s previous arrests and incarceration.
Sources told
KPRC 2
Investigates that Border Patrol first encountered Manzano in Brownsville, Texas, in 1989. He was released with a future immigration court date. He was granted temporary protective status in 1991, and that status expired in 1994. He was issued work authorization, but that authorization expired on Dec. 20, 2000.
Controversy regarding the previous calls to law enforcement for Manzano also riled critics of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, including Republican Mary Nan Huffman who is challenging incumbent DA Kim Ogg in the 2020 election.