IN what had appeared at first to be a banner year for Texas Law Enforcement, we went through the first quarter of 2013 with no peace officer line-of-duty deaths to report. Unfortunately, in April Deputy Chad Key of the Grayson County Sheriff's Office was struck and killed by a drunk driver while the officer directed traffic at an accident scene. Just a week later, on April 26, Officer Candelari of Pasadena was killed while he and another off-duty officer stopped to assist with a major traffic accident on Interstate 10 in the Hill Country. Then, in mid-June, Officer Jason Sprague of the Texarkana Police Department, was deliberately run over by the driver of a vehicle the officer was approaching to question about a relatively minor incident in the city park. So, in less than sixty days during the spring, the number of Texas Peace Officers killed on duty reached its yearly average.
On June 29, Deputy Lance McLean of the Hood County Sheriff's Office lost his life when he was shot by a rape suspect who was trespassing on his victim's property. The suspect then fled to the Granbury City Hall where he confronted other officers. The suspect shot one more officer before himself being shot down by police. I am proud to honor Deputy McLean here, though his sacrifice was a tragedy that should not have happened.
On July 14, Officer Robert Hornsby of Killeen was shot and killed by a barricaded suspect who had "surrendered" to officers. When Officer Hornsby and other officers approached the suspect, he suddenly ran to another room then opened fired with a high-powered rifle. Other officers shot the suspect dead. Officer Hornsby left behind his beautiful wife and children. No peace officer had been killed in Killeen since the wild days right after World War I, so understandably the entire city was in shock after the officer's death. I am proud to honor Officer Hornsby on these pages, and I offer a heartfelt prayer of comfort and sympathy for his family, his fellow officers, and for all those who lost husbands, sons, and fellow police officers in the line of duty. I pray for the safety of officers across the state and across this nation.
On June 29, Deputy Lance McLean of the Hood County Sheriff's Office lost his life when he was shot by a rape suspect who was trespassing on his victim's property. The suspect then fled to the Granbury City Hall where he confronted other officers. The suspect shot one more officer before himself being shot down by police. I am proud to honor Deputy McLean here, though his sacrifice was a tragedy that should not have happened.
On July 14, Officer Robert Hornsby of Killeen was shot and killed by a barricaded suspect who had "surrendered" to officers. When Officer Hornsby and other officers approached the suspect, he suddenly ran to another room then opened fired with a high-powered rifle. Other officers shot the suspect dead. Officer Hornsby left behind his beautiful wife and children. No peace officer had been killed in Killeen since the wild days right after World War I, so understandably the entire city was in shock after the officer's death. I am proud to honor Officer Hornsby on these pages, and I offer a heartfelt prayer of comfort and sympathy for his family, his fellow officers, and for all those who lost husbands, sons, and fellow police officers in the line of duty. I pray for the safety of officers across the state and across this nation.
