Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Elston Howard, a vice officer, was shot and killed when he interrupted a robbery at an adult bookstore at 4430 Richmond Avenue. He was inside the bookstore writing citations for city ordinance violations to the manager when an armed subject entered the store with the intention of robbing it. When the man saw Officer Howard he shot him three times, killing him, and then robbed the store. The man fled the store and then shot and wounded his accomplice when the man attempted to push him out of their car after learning Officer Howard had been shot. The subject's accomplice was sentenced to 55 years in prison. The man who shot Officer Howard, had been released from the Texas Department of Corrections after serving 10 years of a 30-year sentence for a robbery spree. Following Officer Howard's killing, the suspect was sentenced to death and subsequently executed on Jan. 30, 2019. Officer Howard served with the Houston Police Department for five years.
Survivors
He was survived by his daughter, mother, sister and fiancee.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-2CE3DCEF- 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.
Officer Howard gave the Houston Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Howard.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Elston Morris Howard 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%.
At Houston Police Department, 84 of 117 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 71.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Elston Morris Howard's cause is highlighted.
How Elston Morris Howard Compares
Offender Outcome
Executed in 2019
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Elston Morris Howard is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Elston Morris Howard was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
116 officers from Houston Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
