Harris County commissioners designate Oct. 25 as 'Deputy Kareem Atkins Day'

To honor Kareem Atkins, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office deputy, Oct. 25 will be a county holiday for years to come due to a resolution unanimously approved by the Harris County Commissioners Court on Oct. 26.

“Deputy Kareem Atkins Day” will be celebrated annually to recognize Atkins' heroism and service, Judge Lina Hidalgo said at the court’s Oct. 26 regular meeting. According to Hidalgo, Atkins was the first Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office deputy to be fatally shot.

“All of us stand with the deputies and with their families, and an attack on any member of law enforcement is an attack on our community,” Hidalgo said.

While Atkins died Oct. 16, his funeral was held Oct. 25 at Champions Forest Baptist Church in Spring. Harris County commissioners, Hidalgo and other members of state and local government and law enforcement agencies were in attendance.

“These are terrible things to attend, and we’ve attended too many of them,” Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said during the Oct. 26 Commissioners Court meeting. “I was pleased that we had representatives there from all stages of government there to comfort the family.”

Atkins was killed in an ambush outside of a north Houston bar. The shooter, who used an AR-15 rifle, also injured deputies Juqaim Barthen and Darrell Garrett. Atkins left behind a wife, Nadia, and two children–a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old.