Charles B. Lacey

Travis County Sheriff's Department — Austin, TX

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch November 5, 1982

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

The Vigil Panel 126 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 7

Incident

Deputy Charles Lacey was shot in the throat by a man he discovered sexually assaulting a woman in a car on February 18, 1981. The man had murdered two other people earlier in the day before abducting the woman. He had pulled over on the side of the road and was attempting to assault her when Deputy Lacey pulled up behind them. The man immediately drove away but was stopped by Deputy Lacey approximately one mile away. When Deputy Lacey contacted the driver, he was immediately shot. The wound paralyzed him from the neck down, and he died on November 5, 1982, from complications of the wound. The woman the suspect was assaulting was able to escape when the man stopped for gas later in the day. The subject was convicted of attempted capital murder and sentenced to 99 years in prison. Deputy Lacey was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War. He had served with Travis County Sheriff's Office for four years and had previously served with the Austin Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-ACA1C25D
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Charles is one person.

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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.
Deputy Sheriff Lacey gave the Travis County Sheriff's Office 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Travis County Sheriff's Department

Type Other

Location Austin, Travis County, TX

Platform Identity tcso.travis.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 5, 1982

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Charles B. Lacey served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Charles B. Lacey is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,460 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Travis County Sheriff's Department, 6 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Travis County Sheriff's Department

of 8 officers

75% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,460

of 2,421 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious