Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Timberlake was shot and killed as he and several other lawman attempted to arrest a well known smuggler who was believed to have murdered Private Joe Shaw, also of the Texas Rangers, four months earlier.
The rangers, deputies, and Customs inspectors had setup an ambush for the suspect on a path at Tomate Bend on the Rio Grande River in Brownsville, Texas. When the officers observed a man on the path, they ordered him to surrender. The suspect spun around and immediately opened fire, and struck Sergeant Timberlake. The other lawmen returned fire, hit the suspect five times, and killed him.
Sergeant Timberlake was rushed to a hospital in Brownsville where he died the following morning.
Sergeant Timberlake had served in law enforcement for 6 years. During the time, he had served as a deputy sheriff for Galveston County, marshal of Del Rio, policeman in Laredo, and as a ranger for Company A, Company F, and Company I. He was assigned to Company I at the time of his murder.
Survivors
He was survived by his father.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-8283422C- 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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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Timberlake gave the Texas Rangers 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Timberlake.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Delbert Timberlake 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 97,772 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,461 of 2,422 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 Texas Rangers, 104 of 122 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 85.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Delbert Timberlake's cause is highlighted.
How Delbert Timberlake Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Delbert Timberlake is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Delbert Timberlake was killed by gun; unknown type.
Others Who Wore This Badge
121 officers from Texas Rangers are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
