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Since
1875, when the Austin Police Department lost it's first
officer, 18 lives have been sacrificed during active duty.
We salute these fallen officers for their heroic efforts
and spotlight each of them in our Officers Killed in the
Line of Duty section.
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Cornelius
L. Fahey (1875)
John Gaines, 50 (1913)
Tom Allen (1915)
James N. Littlepage (1928)
William Murray Stuart (1933)
James R. Cummings (1933)
Elkins P. Morrison (1936)
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Walter Lee Tucker (1948)
Donald Eugene Carpenter (1964)
Billy Paul Speed (1966)
Thomas Wayne Birtrong (1974)
Leland Dale Anderson (1975)
Ralph A. Ablanedo (1978)
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Lee Craig Smith
(1979)
Robert Martinez Jr., 26, (1989)
Drew Alan Bolin (1995)
Clinton Warren Hunter (2001)
Earl Hall
Amy Donovan (2004) |
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Cornelius
L. Fahey, 35, (March 8, 1875)
Officer Fahey, a native of Cork, Ireland, was shot
through the abdomen on an unknown block of Congress
Avenue between the hours of 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. on
Sunday, March 7, 1875. His assailant, a "whiskey-crazed"
man named Mark Tiner, fled the scene on horseback
and was captured in Hancock's pasture approximately
3 ½ miles north of the city. Fahey was able
to identify Tiner before dying of his wounds. Officer
Fahey, according to local press, "was an efficient
officer, and fell while in the discharge of his duty."
He is the first Austin police officer known to have
died in the line of duty. back
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John Gaines,
50, (November 19, 1913)
Officer John Gaines, the only African American officer
on the Austin police force, was shot by George Booth,
a deputy constable, at 6th Street and Trinity Street.
on November 19, 1913. Booth, who had been making a
disturbance, shot Officer Gaines while Gaines was
on the telephone summoning help from the police station.
At that time, African-American officers were not allowed
to arrest whites. Officer Gaines and his wife, Sarah,
were originally from Big Spring, Texas. back
to top |
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Tom Allen,
age unknown, (October 24, 1915)
Officer Tom Allen, Austin's only African-American
police officer since the death of John Gaines two
years earlier, was shot and killed at Jennings' Drug
Store in the 400 block of East 6th Street. The shooting
followed an argument between Officer Allen and the
editor of a black newspaper in San Antonio. Officer
Allen was angered by reports that he had mistreated
several African-American women he had arrested. After
a confrontation with the editor by the wagon yard
near Red River Street, Officer Allen followed the
man to Jennings' drugstore. The editor, arriving first,
drew a handgun from a briefcase he had left at the
store and shot Officer Allen as he entered, his own
gun drawn and ready. According to a newspaper story
of the time, Officer Allen was killed only thirty
feet from the site where Officer John Gaines had died
two years earlier. back
to top |
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James N.
Littlepage, 67, (October 9, 1928)
Chief James Littlepage was killed during a shooting
rampage in South Austin on October 9, 1928. Chief
Littlepage and several officers set out from City
Hall on report that a crazed man wielding a shotgun
had killed two women near the 300 block of Elizabeth
Street. Officers chased the man along a creek bed
while Chief Littlepage drove his automobile around
to head the man off. When Chief Littlepage confronted
the fleeing man at the 2500 block of Wilson Street,
he attempted to talk him into surrendering. The gunman
shot the Chief twice in the abdomen, then ran on to
a house at 1800 Newton Street, where he shot and killed
a carpenter working outside the home. Eventually the
gunman, barricaded in yet another house, took his
own life as police closed in. back
to top |
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William
Murray Stuart, 29, (October 16, 1933)
Sgt. Willaim Stuart was killed in the line of duty
when his motorcycle was struck by a car at the 1000
block of South Congress Avenue. Officer Stuart was
attempting to pull over a speeding truck when he was
struck by the car. The driver of the car was charged
with negligent homicide.
back to top |
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James R.
Cummings, 31, (December 3, 1933)
Officer James Cummings was killed in the line of duty
when the motorcycle he was riding en route to an emergency
call collided with a car at the intersection of 14th
Street and Red River Street. Despite efforts by Cummings'
partner and the occupants of the car to carry Officer
Cummings to nearby Brackenridge Hospital, he died
almost instantly from his wounds. Officer Cummings
was the second motorcycle officer to be killed in
the line of duty in less than two months. back
to top |
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Elkins P.
Morrison, 29, (February 2, 1936)
Officer Elkins Morrison was killed in the line of
duty when he was struck by a car at the 300 block
of Congress Avenue. Officer Morrison was on detective
duty when he was struck crossing the street. Darkness,
fog and rain were blamed for poor visibility leading
to the accident. back
to top |
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Walter Lee
Tucker, 26, (October 14, 1948)
Officer Walter Tucker was killed in the line of duty
when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a
car at the intersection of Monroe and South Congress
Avenue. Tucker, a two-year veteran, was on traffic
patrol when the collision occurred.
back to top |
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Donald Eugene
Carpenter,28, (January 30, 1964)
Officer Donald Carpenter was killed at the site of
a burglary in progress. As officers surrounded the
business, a suspect inside shouted that he was coming
out, but instead opened fire. Officer Carpenter was
just exiting his patrol car when he was struck by
gunfire from inside the building. Another officer
already on the scene was seriously wounded. Officer
Carpenter, shot in the head, died two days later.
back to top |
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Billy Paul
Speed, 22, (August 1, 1966)
Officer Billy Speed was eating lunch at a cafe near
the University of Texas campus when he heard gunfire.
While investigating the shooting coming from the University
of Texas Tower, he was struck and killed by a rifle
bullet, making him one of the first victims of Charles
Whitman, the infamous tower sniper. Whitman went on
that day to kill a total of 16 and to wound more than
30 others.
back to top |
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Thomas Wayne
Birtrong, 31, (August 23, 1974)
Officer Thomas Birtong was killed in a traffic collision
at 15th and Trinity Street while responding to an
officer's call for assistance. Officer Birtong's patrol
car was operating "Code 3" - lights flashing
and siren on-when the collision occurred. back
to top |
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Leland Dale
Anderson, 26, (June 6, 1975)
Officer Leland Anderson was killed when he was attacked
by three men at the intersection of 8th Street and
Congress Avenue. Officer Anderson had observed one
of the subjects selling papers and had stopped to
check if he was in compliance with City ordinances.
When Officer Anderson attempted to arrest one of the
men on outstanding traffic warrants, a fight ensued.
One of the subjects gained control of Officer Anderson's
gun and shot him. Despite Officer Anderson's bulletproof
vest, one bullet entered between the front and rear
panel and penetrated his chest. The subjects were
arrested following a pursuit in which gunfire was
exchanged. back to top |
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Ralph A.
Ablanedo, 26, (May 18, 1978)
Officer Ralph Ablanedo was killed in the line of duty
during a traffic stop in the 900 block of Live Oak
Street. Officer Ablanedo had ticketed the driver of
the car, Sheila Meinert, for driving without a license,
then ran a routine check on the passenger, David Lee
Powell, who had warrants for misdemeanor theft and
hot checks. As Officer Ablanedo spoke on his radio,
Powell opened fire with a fully automatic AK-47, penetrating
Officer Ablanedo's bulletproof vest. Despite his injuries,
Officer Ablanedo was able to give officers a description
of the car before he lost consciousness and died.
Powell opened fire on a second officer when he was
stopped a short time later, and also tossed a hand
grenade, which failed to explode. His companion, Meinert,
surrendered, and Powell fled on foot, only to be arrested
a few hours later after an extensive manhunt. Powell
was eventually convicted of murder and sentenced to
death. back to top |
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Lee Craig
Smith, 28, (December 15, 1979)
Officer Lee Smith, a motorcycle officer, died as a
result of injuries suffered in an accident while on
duty. While pursuing a motorist on the newly completed
Mopac freeway, Officer Smith lost control of his motorcycle.
A defective steering part caused the accident. Although
Officer Smith had seemingly recovered from his injuries,
he died suddenly at his home some months later as
a result of the accident. back
to top |
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Robert Martinez
Jr., 26, (February 25, 1989)
Officer Robert Martinez Jr. was killed in the line
of duty when his patrol car struck a tree. Martinez,
who was en route to assist another officer, swerved
to avoid a pick up truck that had pulled into his
path. At the time of the collision, Officer Martinez
was working the last hour of his last shift before
a scheduled transfer to Walking Beat.
back to top |
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Drew Alan
Bolin, 25, (June 2, 1995)
Officer Drew Bolin was killed in the line of duty
when he was struck by drunk driver while directing
traffic at a collision site in the 4800 block of IH-35.
The driver of the vehicle, Cessilee Hyde, was convicted
of intoxication manslaughter. Officer Bolin was in
his fifth month of service as a commissioned officer
of the Austin Police Department at the time of his
death.
back to top |
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Clinton
Warren Hunter, 22, (November 29, 2001)
Officer Clinton Hunter died from fatal injuries sustained
when a vehicle, driven by a suspect attempting to
flee from patrol officers, struck him. Officer Hunter
was in his 14th month of service as a commissioned
officer of the Austin Police Department at the time
of his death. The suspect, Herschel Hinkle, eventually
pleaded guilty of intoxication manslaughter and was
sentenced to life in prison. back
to top |
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Earl Hall,
(March 4, 2002)
Sergeant Earl Hall passed away on March 4, 2002. He
was a 21-year veteran of the Austin Police Department.
back to top |
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Amy Donovan,
(October 31, 2004)
Officer Donovan was killed when she was accidentally
struck by a police
cruiser during a foot chase.
At approximately 2248 hours, Officer Donovan and
her partner observed a suspicious person walking
on the 1300 block of Poquito Street. Officer
Donovan got out of the car to talk to the man and
he began running. Officer Donovan began to chase
the suspect and her partner put the patrol car in
reverse and tried to block the man's escape route.
During the chase, the patrol car struck Officer
Donovan and pinned her next to a utility pole. She
was taken to Brackenridge Hospital where she died
of her injuries at approximately 0200 hours. back
to top
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