Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Mack Thomas succumbed to complications of a gunshot wound sustained 12 years earlier on August 25, 1909, in Taylor County.
A Taylor County constable had obtained a warrant for a goat herder who had brutally beat his 9-year-old stepson on a farm five miles south of Potosi. The constable requested assistance from Deputy Thomas after being warned that the man had threatened to kill anyone who attempted to arrest him.
The constable, Deputy Thomas, and a posse went to the man's farm to serve the warrant. Deputy Thomas and the constable approached the house and called out to the man while the posse concealed themselves nearby. The man opened the door and fired a shotgun at the officers, striking Deputy Thomas in the face and the constable in the leg. The man then fled into the nearby hills before surrendering three days later. He was initially convicted of assault to murder but the case was reversed before he was convicted of a reduced charge of assault. He was fined $50.
Deputy Thomas lost one of his eyes as a result of the shotgun blast. He died from complications of the wound on October 13, 1921.
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9
Chris Di Gerolamo Federal Air Marshal Service (Retired) May 31st, 2024
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- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Thomas served with the Callahan County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Baird community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Thomas.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff David Madison "Mack" Thomas is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David Madison "Mack" Thomas's cause is highlighted.
How David Madison "Mack" Thomas Compares
Offender Outcome
Convicted of assault
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. David Madison "Mack" Thomas is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. David Madison "Mack" Thomas was killed by shotgun.