An off-duty Precinct 6 deputy constable who was shot and killed Thursday night was remembered as someone who went above the call of duty.

The shooting occurred in the 4800 block of Allendale near Old Galveston Road at about 9 p.m.

Investigators said 22-year-old Harris County reserve deputy Carltrell Odom was with two friends in the parking lot of his apartment complex when four men approached them demanding money and their mobile phones.

While two of the men complied, Odom, who was in his street clothes, took off running and was gunned down. He was shot three times, once in the head.

Constable Victor Trevino believes he was trying to protect his friends.

"He was running; he was going toward his car," he said. "And I believe he wanted to retrieve his gun; he didn't have his gun with him. And I think he wanted to help his friends. It cost him his life."

The deputy had been with the constable’s office for about two years, serving as a reserve deputy constable with Precinct 6.

He missed his 23rd birthday by just five days.

“He came to us at the age of 20 and, in those two years, he had shown great progress as a law enforcement officer,” Constable Trevino said. “Whether it was working patrol, assisting in special operations or working in the community, he always proved to be dedicated and committed.”

As a reserve deputy, Odom was required to work 24 hours a month as a volunteer, but officials said he sometimes put in 100 hours a month with the Precinct's Gulfgate and Housing divisions.

His coworkers called him, "Smiley."

Odom lived in the apartment complex with his parents and younger brother. His mother said she thinks he was shot in the back of the head because he refused to turn over his paycheck.

The brother of one of the other men with Odom said he survived because he complied with the suspects' demands, handing over credit cards and a cell phone.

The Houston Police Department is investigating the shooting and is looking for the suspects.

They said the suspects in the shooting of the deputy fled the scene in a black Infiniti, which was found a couple of miles away on Southville.

KHOU-TV

Carltrell Odom

Officers think the car used in the shooting was stolen earlier that day.

Odom is survived by parents Carl and Corliss Lewis, and his brothers Carl and Andrew.

Precinct 6 is helping the family arrange and pay for his funeral.