Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Sean Rios was shot and killed in the 7700 block of North Freeway at about 1:30 pm while en route to start his shift at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
He encountered two vehicles and an armed man on the roadway and became engaged in a shootout with the subject. Sergeant Rios was fatally wounded in the shootout. The subjects in both vehicles fled the scene. The man suspected of shooting Sergeant Rios was arrested the following day. The second subject was arrested the next day.
The subject accused of firing the fatal shot was found not guilty in 2022. He remains in jail for drug and aggravated assault charges from two previous and unrelated shootings.
Sergeant Rios was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Houston Police Department for 25 years, assigned to the Airport Division.
Survivors
He is survived by four children, parents, a brother, and two cousins who work also serve with the Houston Police Department.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-D436FE58- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Rios gave the Houston Police Department 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Sean Sebastian Rios served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sergeant Sean Sebastian Rios is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Houston Police Department, 84 of 117 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Sean Sebastian Rios's cause is highlighted.
How Sean Sebastian Rios Compares
Offender Outcome
Arrested
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Sean Sebastian Rios is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Sean Sebastian Rios was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
116 officers from Houston Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
