Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Charles Gantz died after being exposed to a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen while being lowered into a dry well while searching for illegal liquor.
He was overcome by the fumes and asphyxiated while descending into the well. His body was recovered 45 minutes later.
Sergeant Gantz had served with the Waco Police Department for two years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and seven children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-96105C76- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Gantz gave the Waco Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Waco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Gantz.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Charles M. Gantz is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Waco Police Department, 2 of 11 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 18.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles M. Gantz's cause is highlighted.
How Charles M. Gantz Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Charles M. Gantz is highlighted in Aug.
Others Who Wore This Badge
10 officers from Waco Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
