The oldest daughter of police officer Richard Houston, who was killed Friday, Dec. 3, in the line of duty, said she harbors no resentment toward her father’s murderer. Rather, she only wants the suspect to know Jesus.
“My prayer is that someday down the road,” said 18-year-old Shelby Houston, speaking at her father’s funeral, “I get to spend some time with the man who shot my father. Not to scream at him, not to yell at him, not to scold him. Simply to tell him about Jesus.”
Richard Houston: A Faithful Christian and Family Man
Sgt. Richard Houston, 46, served with the Mesquite Police Department in Mesquite, Texas, for 21 years before being shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call at a supermarket. The suspect’s name is Jamie Jaramillo, and the disturbance involved an altercation between Jaramillo’s alleged mistress and his wife and daughter. Officers say the information Houston had was that he was responding to a fight between two women, and he did not know that a man would be there, nor that anyone had a weapon.
Jaramillo engaged Houston in gunfire for an unknown reason, shooting Houston twice and himself once. Both men were taken to a hospital, where Houston succumbed to his wounds. Jaramillo survived and has since been discharged from the hospital, booked in jail, and charged with capital murder.
Richard Houston is survived by his wife, Shelley, and his children, Shelby, Hannah, and Lucas. His funeral took place on Thursday, Dec. 9, at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. Friends, family, and colleagues described Houston as a highly decorated, skilled officer who was known for his deep love for Jesus and his family.
Mesquite Police Chief David Gill, who said he and Houston had taught a Bible study together, noted there was “no doubt” that Houston was a “follower of Jesus.” Houston saw being a police officer as a profession that gave him “daily opportunities to share his faith.” Said Gill, “Richard loved to tell people about Jesus.”
Houston knew he was risking his life by being a police officer, but he was confident about where he was going after death. “Richard was courageous because of his faith,” said Gill, who told those gathered that Houston took comfort from Romans 8:28, which gave him confidence that God would provide for his family if he were gone.
Assistant Police Chief Doug Yates said that anyone who was friends with Houston knew about his relationship with Jesus. “Richard didn’t just go to church,” said Yates. “Richard walked with God each day in everything he did.”
