Holly MatkinHouston, TX – The wanted fugitive accused of murdering Nassau Bay Police Sergeant Kaila Sullivan during a traffic stop on Tuesday is a career criminal who has bragged about his extensive criminal history on social media (video below).
Tavores Dewayne Henderson, 21, is wanted for allegedly hitting and dragging Sgt. Sullivan, 43, with a Jeep as he was fleeing the scene.
Sgt. Sullivan, a 16-year veteran-of-the-force, was pronounced dead at a local hospital a short while later.
Henderson was last spotted at 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday in Missouri City, Texas, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a Blue Alert update on Wednesday night.
The career criminal and an accomplice identified only as “Anthony” may be headed to Louisiana in a red Buick, which also has dark-tinted windows and a busted-out back window.
According to court records, Henderson had pending charges out of Galveston, Montgomery, and Harris counties at the time of Sgt. Sullivan’s murder, KTRK reported.
He had been arrested in Galveston and Montgomery counties for allegedly stealing tools from Home Depot stores, according to KHOU.
He also fled from police his vehicle in Montgomery County when they attempted to arrest him in connection with that incident.
Henderson was charged with weapons and drug offenses in Fort Bend County in 20016, KHOU reported.
He was a juvenile at the time, and the charges were ultimately dismissed.
In February, Henderson was charged with domestic violence in Harris County after he allegedly pointed a gun at the mother of his children and threatened to shoot her if she didn’t open the door to her vehicle to allow him to get in, KHOU reported.
When the victim complied, he allegedly choked her and threatened to “knock all her teeth out of her mouth,” according to court documents.
The woman and Henderson broke up sometime after the incident.
On Dec. 8, Henderson allegedly attacked her again after he showed up unannounced to the woman’s workplace function and threatened to assault one of her coworkers, KHOU reported.
When the ex-girlfriend attempted to leave the area, Henderson lifted her off the ground and stuffed her into his vehicle, scratching her face in the process.
He drove for several blocks before the victim convinced him to release her by telling him that the police had been contacted and were coming for him.
That incident resulted in the domestic violence warrant that Sgt. Sullivan and a fellow officer were attempting to serve on Henderson during the traffic stop on Tuesday night.
Henderson, who goes by the name “The Real Killah Dre,” appears to be quite proud of his criminal exploits, having posted his own mugshots, portions of his criminal history, and a video of him being released from jail on an earlier charge onto his various social media accounts.
“Y’all thought the kid wasn’t coming home, huh?” Henderson boasted in the video as he burst out of the front doors of the jail in celebration. “Over three counties, mother–ker! Over three motherf–king different bonds – three cases – look at this!”
He then flaunted his release paperwork, and bragged about having posted approximately $100,000 to bail himself out, the video showed.
“And the kid’s still back at it, man!” Henderson declared, fanning out a stack of $20 bills for the camera.
Houston Police Officer’s Union (HPOU) Board Member Christian Dorton shared the clip to Twitter on Wednesday.
“When they capture Tavores Henderson, don’t let anyone tell you he was a good kid or use his baby photos in news articles,” Dorton wrote. “Tavores Henderson is a thieving, robbing, drug dealing, woman abusing, lowlife piece of trash, gang member.”
Henderson has been charged with felony murder, but the offense may be upgraded to capital murder.
The Crime Stoppers’ Fallen Hero Project is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, KTRK reported on Wednesday.
The fatal altercation occurred in the 2000-block of San Sebastian Court at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, as Sgt. Sullivan and another NBPD officer were attempting to arrest a Henderson on a domestic violence warrant during a traffic stop, the Houston Chronicle reported.
As police were handcuffing him, Henderson went on the fight and managed to get away from the officers.
He then ran back to his Jeep and floored the accelerator, slamming his vehicle into Sgt. Sullivan as he fled the scene.
Sgt. Sullivan was rushed to HCA-Houston Clear Lake Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Police later discovered the suspect’s abandoned Jeep in the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex, according to WFAA.
A massive search for Sgt. Sullivan’s killer led police to the Henderson’s mother’s home in Houston early Wednesday morning, the Houston Chronicle reported.
He was believed to be holed up inside the residence, but was not located when SWAT officers forced entry, the city said in a press release at approximately 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Henderson remains on the loose.
Sgt. Sullivan would have celebrated her 16th anniversary with the NBPD on Dec. 27, Nassau Bay Police Chief Tim Cromie said during a press conference.
Chief Cromie said that Sgt. Sullivan was “a police officer at heart,” and that she was always a “consummate professional.”
“Her blood ran blue,” the chief added.
She served the department as a night shift sergeant, and was also in charge of the agency’s training schedule.
“She’s going to be deeply missed by the department, by the officers, and by the community,” Chief Cromie told reporters.
Sgt. Sullivan was also the national president of the Sisters Eternal Woman’s Motorcycle Club of Texas.
“Kaila was a natural leader, both at work and in the MC community,” the group said in a Facebook post early Wednesday morning. “She was wise beyond her years and we all wish we had more time with her. She is already sorely missed. We will honor her memory every day.”
You can watch Henderson bragging about his prior jail release in the video below: