A Canton police officer who suffered serious injuries during a violent standoff earlier this week has been discharged from the hospital, authorities confirmed Friday.
Officer Chris Watson was shot during a confrontation Tuesday night at the home of 42-year-old Mi Van Nguyen, located south of Canton. Nguyen opened fire on law enforcement using a semiautomatic rifle at approximately 10:20 p.m. as officers and deputies attempted to make contact with him.
Van Zandt County Sheriff Kevin Bridger said Nguyen fired more than 800 rounds at responding personnel during the exchange. Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Deputy Ahmed “Adam” Sherifi was killed in the gunfire while assisting Canton police in serving two felony arrest warrants at the property.
Nguyen was later found dead inside the residence from a gunshot wound. The Texas Rangers have taken over the investigation into the incident.
The Canton Police Department confirmed that Officer Watson faces a lengthy recovery and will require at least one additional surgery. The department also clarified that Watson is not at risk of losing his arm despite the severity of his wounds.
Sheriff Bridger held a news conference Friday but did not take questions from reporters and offered no details about a possible motive behind the attack.
Bridger described the events of Tuesday night as an act of “pure evil” and paid tribute to Deputy Sherifi by drawing a sharp contrast between the suspect’s violence and the deputy’s dedication to public service.
“Where one man chose violence Adam chose a life of service” Bridger said. “Where one man brought fear and destruction Adam took an oath and gave his life providing the safety for our community.”
Sherifi’s death has sent shockwaves through the Van Zandt County law enforcement community and prompted an outpouring of support from across Texas.
Bridger emphasized that the shooting was an isolated incident and that Nguyen no longer poses any threat to the public following his death inside the residence.