In Texas, sheriffs and their deputies are fully empowered peace officers with county-wide jurisdiction and thus, may legally exercise their authority in unincorporated and incorporated areas of their county; they primarily provide law enforcement services for only the unincorporated areas of a county, while yielding to municipal police or city marshals to provide law enforcement services for the incorporated areas.

[5] In an emergency, sheriffs along with mayors and district judges are empowered by state law to call forth the National Guard to preserve the peace.

[6] The jurisdiction of the Harris County Sheriff's Office often overlaps with several other law enforcement agencies, among them the Texas Highway Patrol, the eight Harris County Constable Precincts, and several municipal police agencies including the city of Houston Police Department.

The current sheriff of Harris County is Ed Gonzalez, elected in 2016 and has been in office since January 1, 2017.

[7] The death was ruled a homicide by the Harris County medical examiner on June 6, 2017, and both Thompsons were charged with murder.

[9] The Harris County Sheriff's Office's correction facilities are located in Downtown Houston, all within a block of one another.