HOUSTON (AP) — A man fatally shot a Texas sheriff’s deputy Wednesday at a shopping plaza in Houston and then evaded officers for hours before shooting a K-9 that helped find him hiding under trash in a dumpster, authorities said.

The 56-year-old suspect was then shot and killed by officers, ending an intensive afternoon search in the nation’s fourth-largest city following the killing of Jesus Vargas, a 17-year veteran of the Brazoria County sheriff’s department.

“What has happened is extremely tragic,” T. Michael O’Connor, the U.S. Marshal of the Southern District of Texas, said at a news conference.

The dog, named Rocky, was transported by helicopter for care and was in stable condition Wednesday evening, O’Connor said.

Authorities said Vargas was trying to serve an arrest warrant Wednesday morning when the suspect opened fire on him. The suspect then fled the scene, setting off a large-scale search that included helicopters, K-9 units and multiple law enforcement agencies.

Texas sheriff's deputy killed, suspect fatally shot after intensive search in Houston | iNFOnews.ca — People arrive at Ben Taub Hospital with deputy sheriffs from Brazoria County where a Texas sheriff’s deputy was taken after he was shot while trying to serve an arrest warrant Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Houston. (Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Police identified the suspect as Robert Lee Davis, also known as Sean Christopher Davis. Davis had a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Houston Police Department Chief Noe Diaz said.

Police said the suspect was eventually found close to where the deputy was shot. Diaz said the K9 had alerted officers to the dumpster and believed David had been hiding the there since the shooting. Officers opened fire after Davis shot the dog, authorities said.

Vargas was married and had three children, Brazoria County Sheriff Bo Stallman, said.