On the night of November 15, 1989, 48-year-old Police Officer Gerald Ray Walker, a white male, was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop in Garland, Texas. Officer Walker, a U.S. Air Force veteran and a 17-year member of the Garland Police Department, had previously served with the Farmers Branch and Grapevine Police Departments, totaling 22 years in law enforcement. He was known for his dedication, professionalism, and commitment to serving his community.
At approximately 11:15 PM, Officer Walker initiated a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle driven by 39-year-old Daniel Joe Hittle, a white male. Unbeknownst to Officer Walker, Hittle was armed with a 20-gauge shotgun and had a violent history, including the 1973 murders of his adoptive parents in Minnesota, for which he had served 11 years before being paroled. During the stop, Hittle shot Officer Walker in the chest and fled the scene.
Following the shooting, Hittle proceeded to the home of his drug dealer, 39-year-old Mary Goss, a white female, with whom he had an ongoing feud. Upon arrival, he fatally shot Goss, her boyfriend Richard Joseph Cook Jr., a 36-year-old white male, and her friend Raymond Scott Gregg, a 19-year-old white male. He also shot Goss's 4-year-old daughter, Christy Condon, a white female, in the face; she was later pronounced brain dead.
Hittle was apprehended later that night after a police pursuit and shootout. He was convicted of capital murder for the killing of Officer Walker and sentenced to death. Hittle was executed by lethal injection on December 6, 2000, at the Huntsville Unit in Texas.
Officer Walker's death marked the first line-of-duty fatality in the history of the Garland Police Department. He is remembered for his unwavering dedication to public service and his ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
