MESQUITE (1080 KRLD)- More than a dozen restaurants in Mesquite are donating part of their sales to honor a fallen police officer Monday. Officer Richard Houston II was killed in the line of duty December 3, 2021.
Houston was responding to a call of a disturbance at a grocery store when he was shot several times. He had been with Mesquite Police for 21 years and received 48 letters of commendation, two Life Saving Awards and one Police Commendation Bar.
"He had a very long, established career," says Officer Bruce Sales, president of Mesquite Police Association Charities. "Some of the things he accomplished as an officer and sergeant were huge. He was on the SWAT team for years. He was a huge mentor to the guys in the squad room and in squad meetings. He was always a guy who was top-notch in training, would focus his energy toward making sure everybody was their best. He was right on the edge of any new tactics and making sure he was prepared the best he could be. He did everything he could to make sure everyone around him was as prepared as they could be."
The Mesquite Police Association chose August 21 for the fundraiser because Houston wore badge number 821.
This year, the Texas legislature voted unanimously to rename the stretch of Interstate 635 through Mesquite the "Officer Richard Houston II Memorial Highway." The designation takes effect September 1.
The fundraiser will help pay for signs along the highway as drivers enter Mesquite on 635 from Garland to the north or Balch Springs on the south.
"Our hope is to spur conversations about Officer Houston," Sales says. "It'll incentivize people to look up his story and get to know the man he was and the sacrifice he made."
MPA Charities says it has raised $16,000 of the $40,500 needed.
A total of 16 restaurants in Mesquite are participating in the fundraiser. They are donating either a portion of their sales from a particular time of day or matching customers' donations. A complete list is available here.
"Our goal is for everybody who passes through our city, anyone in our city, to know Officer Houston's name and know his sacrifice," Sales says.
He says other officers will benefit from seeing the signs, too, saying they can serve as a reminder of the dangers police face when they respond to every call.
"Any little thing we can do that helps us keep on top of our game is beneficial to everybody in our department," Sales says. "Obviously, we don't want something like this to ever happen. Nobody in any department does, but seeing those little mementos, whether it be his photo, memorial or signs on the highway reminds us on the worst day, it's a reality this could be our last day here. It helps us stay focused."
The City of Mesquite and Mesquite Police Association hope to have the signs made and installed by December.
Houston was married with three kids. His father had also served with Mesquite Police.
The man convicted of killing Houston was sentenced to life in prison last year.
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