Police: 3 deputies shot, 1 killed in ambush in Houston

HOUSTON, TX (AP/NBC)—A constable deputy is dead, and two other deputies were hurt in what police are calling an ambush outside a nightclub in Houston, Texas Saturday morning.

Police say the deputies were shot while responding to a disturbance outside the nightclub, and they were struggling with one person when somebody shot them from behind with a rifle.

All three deputies were taken to the hospital, where one later died.

"This incident is gonna affect them for the rest of their lives," Mark Herman, an elected county constable said. "I do believe that good always trumps evil and what happened tonight was evil. And now the good is going to sweep in and I hope for swift justice."

Police took one person into custody but were still searching for a man believed to be the shooter, Houston Police Executive Assistant Chief James Jones told reporters

It was unclear whether the deputies returned fire, Jones said. He said Houston police were still investigating, but authorities believe the disturbance may have been a robbery that the constables stopped.

A person of interest was taken into custody at the scene, but authorities were not certain whether the person was a suspect or a witness.

Constables are licensed peace officers who perform various law enforcement functions, according to the Texas Association of Counties.