Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff David Clabaugh was killed near Murvaul when he walked into the rotors of a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter during a manhunt for a murder suspect. The helicopter had landed on FM 1971 to pickup Sheriff Clabaugh. As he approached the helicopter from the rear he walked too close to the rear rotor blade and was sucked into it. He suffered fatal injuries as a result. The fugitive was later captured and sentenced to prison. Sheriff Clabaugh was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII.
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BO-US-TX-8B4830CC- Stewardship
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- 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.
Sheriff Clabaugh served with the Panola County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Carthage 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
David L. Clabaugh served in the the United States military (1945â1946) before joining law enforcement.
Sheriff David L. Clabaugh is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In TX, 657 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.1% of this state's fallen. That is 27.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Panola County Sheriff's Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David L. Clabaugh's cause is highlighted.
How David L. Clabaugh Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. David L. Clabaugh is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Military Service
David L. Clabaugh served in the U.S. Army (1945–1946) before joining law enforcement.
Visit David L. Clabaugh’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Panola County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.
