Roll of Honor
Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr.
Incident
Constable Darrell Lunsford was shot and killed while on a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 59 near Garrison around 1:28 a.m. During the stop, after Constable Lunsford discovered the driver did not have a license and detecting marijuana odor, he found 32 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of the subject's vehicle. The three suspects then jumped Constable Lunsford, beating him and stabbing him with a knife before shooting him in the back of the neck, killing him with his own service weapon. The entire incident was videotaped by the video camera in Constable Lunsford's patrol car. Because of the videotape, the three suspects were arrested, tried, and convicted of his murder. One of the men, who was a recently released parolee, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His brother, also a parolee, was sentenced to 40 years. His scheduled release date is May 2026. The third man pleaded guilty and testified against the brothers; he was released from prison in 2018. Constable Lunsford had served with the Nacogdoches County Constable's Office - Precinct 3 for eight years. Survivors include his wife and two children. In May 2019, US 59 was renamed Constable Darrell Lunsford Memorial Highway, and the signs were placed the following November.
Survivors
Survivors include his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-5171FD86- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Constable Lunsford gave the Nacogdoches County Constable's Office 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nacogdoches community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Lunsford.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr. is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,586 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 6.4 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr. Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr. is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr. was killed by officer's handgun.