Billy Paul Speed, a 23-year-old male police officer with the Austin Police Department, tragically lost his life on August 1, 1966. He was born on February 22, 1943, in San Antonio, Texas. Officer Speed was a U.S. Army veteran who had served in the Vietnam War and had been with the Austin Police Department for just over a year.
On the day of his death, Officer Speed was having lunch in a nearby cafe when he heard repeated rifle fire coming from the vicinity of the University of Texas.
Responding to a call for assistance, he went to investigate the source of the gunfire. Tragically, he was shot in the back by Charles Whitman, a sniper who had taken position on the clock tower at the University of Texas. Whitman's rampage resulted in the deaths of 14 people, including Officer Speed, and injured 31 others before he was eventually shot and killed by officers and civilians who reached the tower.
The investigation into the incident revealed that Charles Whitman had a history of mental health issues and had previously visited a psychiatrist before the shooting. However, there were no arrests or litigations related to the death of Billy Paul Speed, as Whitman was killed during the incident. The case was treated as an act of mass murder rather than a targeted attack on Officer Speed.
Officer Speed was survived by his wife and child, and he is buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. His death is remembered as a tragic event in the history of the Austin Police Department and the University of Texas.
