HPD officer terminated after allegedly shooting wife in the face: 'Case is in hands of the court'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston police officer accused of shooting his wife in the face is out of a job, according to HPD.

On Tuesday, the Houston Police Department tweeted that Galib Chowdhury "has been terminated and is no longer a Houston police officer, effective (Tuesday)."

Chowdhury's termination comes a week after the 31-year-old allegedly shot his wife in the face with an AR-15.

"The criminal case is in the hands of the court and criminal justice system," HPD said in the tweet. "Our hearts remain with the victim, Sadaf Iqbal. We ask the community to pray for her and her family."

The shooting happened on June 12 at the couple's home on Clay Road. Chowdhury claims he and his wife, Sadaf Iqbal, got home 30 minutes before the alleged incident, and their door was unlocked.

Chowdhury said someone broke into their home, and his wife got in the way and was shot. But it appears that was a cover-up.

A week later, on Monday, Iqbal spoke only with ABC13 about what happened.

She's now blind in one eye and will need a prosthetic eye after the shooting, but Iqbal said she still loves her husband, and it was difficult to speak out against him.

Iqbal said that on the night of the shooting, she walked into the apartment, the door was open, and he was waiting for her.

"He comes and starts yelling," Iqbal said. "I remember being shoved on the wall. I look at him and be like, 'You never raised your hands at me. You never (done) this to me.' I was like, 'Babe, why are you- like stop, you have never done this.' He was like, 'You think I can't kill you?' And comes out with a rifle."

SEE ALSO: ONLY ON 13: HPD officer's wife recounts husband trying to cover up shooting as an accident

After the shot was fired, she said he became apologetic, called 911, identified himself as a Houston police officer, and fabricated a story he wanted her to go along with.

"He was like, 'I am an HPD officer, my wife has been shot, there was an intruder,'" Iqbal said. "He was like to me, 'Babe, let's say someone broke in and I missed and that you came in the way.' I was like, 'OK, OK.'"

But his own department did not believe him. Police said there were no signs of a break-in. At first, Iqbal said she was afraid and going to lie for the man she loves until she realized she had lost her eye and how serious this was.

Iqbal's family released the following statement regarding Chowdhury's firing:

"At this time, Sadaf, and we, as her family, commend Houston Police Department's actions in terminating Galib Chowdhury (Tuesday). Every HPD officer has a motto pinned across their badge that says 'Nemo Me Impune Lacessit' -- No one injures me with impunity. In having the privilege of wearing this badge daily, and being entrusted with the safety of citizens, Mr. Chowdhury overlooked the notion that he was also entrusted to act as a law-abiding citizen when not wearing that badge. The facts will be clear, and the law will be just in the end. We are happy that justice has taken its first steps forward in the way that it should, and that HPD can move on without the stain of this incident on its future. Sadaf and our family are grateful for HPDs support during this difficult time."

Chowdhury has since been charged with aggravated assault with serious bodily injury. He's out on a $125,000 bond.

On Tuesday, HPD said news coverage over the incident had nothing to do with Chowdhury's termination.