HOUSTON (MN) — A former Houston police officer accused of shooting his wife in the face is now set to go to prison for decades, court records show.
Galib Waheed Chowdhury, who KHOU reported had instructed his wife to lie about the shooting on June 12, 2023, pleaded guilty March 27 to aggravated assault of a family member with a deadly weapon.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to the court records. McClatchy News has reached out to an attorney representing Chowdhury and is awaiting a response. Sadaf Iqbal suffered “life-altering injures” in the shooting, including “permanent loss of her right eye,” fractured facial bones and “severe damage” to her nose, according to a GoFundMe. She was interviewed by KTRK a week after the shooting — one day before the Houston Police Department announced Chowdhury was fired from his position. She said her husband accused her of cheating, and he became violent in their home. “He comes and starts yelling,” Iqbal told KTRK. “I remember being shoved on the wall. I look at him and be like, ‘You never raised your hands at me. You never did this to me.’ I was like, ‘Babe, why are you — like stop, you have never did this.’ He was like, ‘You think I can’t kill you?’ And comes out with a rifle.” According to court records, Chowdhury shot his wife in the face, almost killing her.
Chowdhury, now 33, then called 911, telling a dispatcher someone broke into their home and his wife “got in the way” as he tried to shoot the person, KRIV reported, citing court records.
Iqbal, at the time, corroborated her husband’s story, according to KRIV. However, the story began to unravel when investigators found no signs of a break-in, KHOU reported. Additionally, text messages revealed the officer sent his wife “demeaning” texts leading up to the shooting. “You aimed for me. You aimed at my head with a rifle,” Iqbal told KTRK. “Why would a person want to defend somebody no matter how much they love them?” Police said Chowdhury had been with the department for just over two years. He was assigned to the Northwest Patrol Division. In the GoFundMe, loved ones described Iqbal as “a vibrant soul and loving individual” who became a domestic violence victim. “Despite the immense pain she endures, Sadaf continues to display immense strength, resilience, and a determination to rebuild her life,” according to the GoFundMe.
If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
By MIKE STUNSON/McClatchy News
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter.
