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  • In the line of duty
  • Officer Dionisio Soto
  • San Elizario Police Department
    Texas

    Deceased: Friday, October 4, 1895
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Assault
    Date of Incident: Tuesday, October 1, 1895
    Weapon Used: Blunt object
  • Officer Soto (60) died from wounds sustained several days earlier when he was beaten by three men after having arrested one of the men for fighting.
  • The man who had originally been arrested was permitted to go back into a dance to retrieve his hat. When he exited the dance hall, two other men accompanied him. One of the men asked the suspect to be released into their custody.
  • When Officer Soto refused they attacked his assistant. As Officer Soto attempted to intervene, he was knocked from his horse and then severely beaten by the three. He died several days later.
  • One of the suspects was convicted of murder and sentenced to 5 years in jail.
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  • Deputy Sheriff William Henry Garlick
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    Deceased: Monday, June 23, 1913
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Gunfire
    Date of Incident: Monday, June 23, 1913
    Weapon Used: Handgun; Luger
    Suspect Info: Juan Gauderrama
  • Ranger Captain John R. Hughes (45) a 7 year veteran assigned Private Scott Russell to accompany El Paso County Deputy Sheriff W. H. Garlick to serve a warrant for arrest on Manuel Guaderrama for rustling. The Guaderrama clan was well known to law enforcement. The two lawmen went to a business (store & saloon) owned by Manuel and his brother, Juan, in an unincorporated industrial area called Smeltertown. To avoid arousing suspicion, the officers entered under the pretext of buying tobacco.
  • Juan and his mother, Marina, were the only people in the store. Unexpectedly, Private Russell was smashed in the head with an axe handle by Marina. Juan pulled a Lugar and killed both Russell and Garlick. He pulled down the curtain and hacked at the fallen officer's heads with a hatchet. Juan discovered he had accidentally shot and mortally wounded his mother. Juan's wife arrived and removed both officer's six gun's and Russell's gun belt. They called police and reported the officers were drunk and had struck his mother.
  • Lawmen believed the Guaderrama clan planned the murders in revenge for the rustling investigation. Thirteen members of the clan were arrested. Seven were no billed by the grand jury and six, including Juan, were indicted for murder. The clan retained top legal talent. Five were tried on January 13, 1914, but the jury deadlocked. Rangers and deputies raised funds to aid the district attorney in the second trial. Unfortunately by the June 1915 trial, only Juan Guaderrama was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to 5 years in prison.
  • Deputy Garlick had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his wife and four children. He was buried in the Valentine Cemetery in Jeff Davis County.
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  • Deputy Sheriff Robert Alexander Trice
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    Deceased: Wednesday, November 18, 1931
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Gunfire
    Date of Incident: Wednesday, November 18, 1931
    Weapon Used: Handgun
  • Around 2:15 a.m. Clint "commercial" night watchman and El Paso County Deputy Sheriff Robert Alexander Trice, 54, was shot and killed in front of store when it was thought he surprised burglars attempting to enter the store. His body was not found until 6:00 a.m. when the owner arrived to open the store. Trice had been shot three times at close range, one bullet entering his chest, a second his forehead, and a third, evidently meant for a mercy shot, glanced off his forehead. Powder burns on the sidewalk indicated Trice was down and at close range. Trice's watchman's clock showed he had rung in at 2:15 a.m., probably a few minutes before the shooting took place. The killers took Trice's pistol and ring of keys. The front door of the store had holes bored into the lock. The newspaper reported that Trice had arrested two men about six months earlier who were committing area burglaries and fleeing back into Mexico. The store had been burglarized three times recently.
  • Three men were arrested by Juarez, Mexico police with evidence from another store burglary and cartridges from the same caliber that killed Trice. Fingerprints were lifted at the scene and compared to the three suspects. They were later released. It is unknown if anyone was ever arrested or convicted for the murder of Deputy Trice.
  • Trice was reported to have lived in and around Clint for 23 years. He was survived by his wife, five sons and two daughters. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in El Paso.
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  • Deputy Shafter H. Wheeler
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    Deceased: Wednesday, November 1, 1933
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Gunfire
    Date of Incident: Wednesday, November 1, 1933
    Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
  • Deputy Wheeler (31) a 12 year veteran, was shot and killed after responding to a disturbance at a cafe. He approached the night watchman at the bar and asked if he had a gun. The watchman answered that he did and opened fire on Deputy Wheeler, fatally wounding him in the head. The suspect was arrested.
  • Deputy Wheeler had been with the agency for three years and had been in law enforcement for 12 years.
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  • Deputy Sheriff V. O. White
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    Deceased: Tuesday, August 28, 1934
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Vehicular assault
    Date of Incident: Tuesday, August 28, 1934
    Weapon Used: Automobile; Alcohol involved
  • Deputy White (31) a 7 year veteran, was killed when his police motorcycle struck the back of a vehicle he was chasing for drunk driving. The drunk driver suddenly stopped the vehicle, causing Deputy White's motorcycle to strike it.
  • Deputy White had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his expectant wife.
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  • Deputy Sheriff John R. Cramer
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    Deceased: Friday, April 26, 1940
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Gunfire
    Date of Incident: Friday, April 26, 1940
    Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
  • Deputy Cramer was shot and killed by a prisoner.
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  • Deputy Sheriff Pat Slape
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    Deceased: Sunday, March 10, 1968
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Struck by train
    Date of Incident: Sunday, March 10, 1968
  • Deputy Slape (32) was killed when his patrol car was struck by a train at a guarded crossing while he was on patrol in Fabens, Texas.
  • Deputy Slape was survived by his wife, four children, parents, and two brothers.
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  • Sergeant Ruben Orozco Sr.
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    Deceased: Saturday, September 17, 2005
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Automobile accident
    Date of Incident: Saturday, September 17, 2005
  • Sergeant Ruben Orozco (51) a 26 year veteran of the Sheriff's Office was killed in an automobile accident on I-10 near Trowbridge Drive.
  • The wheel from a pickup truck traveling in the opposite direction, broke off, flew across the median, and struck Sergeant Orozco's patrol car on the roof and driver's door.
  • The patrol car stopped after scraping along the median for a quarter of a mile. Sergeant Orozco was transported to Thomason Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
  • Sergeant Orozco had served with the El Paso County Sheriff's Department for 26 years. He is survived by his wife, three children, and three grandchildren.
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  • Detention Officer Cesar Arreola
  • El Paso County Sheriff's Office
    Texas

    End of Watch: Sunday, January 18, 2009
  • Incident Details
    Cause of Death:
    Duty related illness
    Date of Incident: Saturday, January 17, 2009
  • Detention Officer Cesar Arreola (37) a 14 month veteran, died after becoming ill while participating in tryouts for his agency's Special Reaction Team. He was transported to a local hospital after suffering difficulty breathing and dizziness. He passed away the following day.
  • Officer Arreola had served with the El Paso County Sheriff's Office for 14 months. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and son.
 
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