Deputy Sheriff Charles B. Lacey, aged approximately 35 years, was fatally shot on February 18, 1981, in Austin, Texas. He was a dedicated officer with the Travis County Sheriff's Office, having previously served with the Austin Police Department. Deputy Lacey was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.
On the day of his death, Deputy Lacey responded to a call about a man assaulting a woman in a car.
The suspect, who had already murdered two other people earlier that day, attempted to flee but was stopped by Deputy Lacey approximately one mile away. When Deputy Lacey approached the vehicle, the suspect shot him in the throat. The injury left Deputy Lacey paralyzed from the neck down, and he succumbed to complications from the wound on November 5, 1982.
The suspect was later convicted of attempted capital murder and sentenced to 99 years in prison. The woman whom the suspect was assaulting managed to escape when he stopped for gas later that day.
Deputy Lacey's death was a tragic loss for the community and his colleagues, who remembered him as a dedicated and compassionate officer. His legacy lives on through the impact he had on those he served and protected.
