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Officer

Keith Edwin Houts

Montgomery Police Department — Montgomery, AL

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 30, 2006

Age 30

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 345 · Column 1 · Line 13 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 27

Incident

Officer Keith Houts succumbed to a gunshot wound inflicted two days earlier while making a traffic stop on North Decatur Street, just a few blocks from police headquarters, at 12:45 pm.

After shooting Officer Houts in the head, the killer shot him several times in the chest as he lay on the ground, but the shots were all stopped by his vest.

Officer Houts was transported to Jackson Hospital where he remained in critical condition until succumbing to his wounds.

The killer fled the area and was captured in McDonough, Georgia, by members of the United States Marshals Service. He was immediately extradited back to Montgomery and charged with capital murder. He was subsequently sentenced to death.

Officer Houts was a United States Army Reserves veteran of the War on Terrorism and had served with the Montgomery Police Department for two years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, parents, and sister.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Houts gave the Montgomery Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Montgomery community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Montgomery Police Department

Type Other

Location Montgomery, Montgomery County, AL

Platform Identity mpd.montgomery.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 30, 2006

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Keith Edwin Houts served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Keith is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 2006, 72 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 98th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Keith was 30. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Keith had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded