TX DPS Trooper Gayle L. Holmes -- Guthrie, TX
N 33° 37.123 W 100° 19.338
14S E 377341 N 3720665
A memorial to DPS Trooper Gayle L. Holmes, who was killed in the line of duty in 1972, one of three in front of the King County Courthouse in downtown Guthrie TX.
Waymark Code: WMKDDQ
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/25/2014
Views: 5
A memorial to Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Gayle L. Holmes, who was killed in a shootout the line of duty on 19 May 1972, stands in front of the King County Courthouse in downtown Guthrie TX. It is the middle of three memorials to King County law enforcement personnel who have died while serving the citizens of King County.
The monument reads as follows:
"We the People of the State of Texas acknowledge and thank Trooper Gayle L. Holmes for the great sacrifice he made to keep the public safe. His efforts will stand the test of time. May God Bless his soul. May 19, 1972"
From the Officer Down website: (
visit link)
"Patrolman
Gayle Lamar Holmes
Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, May 19, 1972
Patrolman Holmes and Sheriff Paul Vinson, of the King County Sheriff's Department, Texas, were shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call outside a rural store between Paducah and Guthrie.
While they were placing one man in the patrol car, another man stepped onto the porch of the store behind them and began firing. A third highway patrolman returned fire, but suffered no injury.
The suspect was taken into custody at a ranch about a mile away. He was later convicted of Sheriff Vinson's murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Patrolman Holmes had been with the agency for only 12 days and was stationed at Spur. He was survived by his wife and child."
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