Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable George Hays was shot and killed by a man whom he had ejected from a dance at a Santa Rita Hotel, in Best, earlier in the night. The subject returned to the hotel and shot Constable Hays twice in the head with a .45 caliber pistol.
The man then shot two bystanders, killing one of them, before fleeing the scene. He committed suicide two days later.
Constable Hays served for 3 months before he was killed. He was previously a general foreman for about 20 years on numerous West Texas ranches. He was survived by his wife and one son. He was buried in the Fairmont Cemetery in San Angelo. Constable Hays was appointed constable for Precinct 5 on August 9th, 1926, and elected to the position on November 2, 1926. The position of constable no longer exists in Reagan County.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and one son.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TX-379C46B6- Stewardship
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- 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.
Constable Hays served with the Reagan County Constable's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Big Lake community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Hays.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable George A. Hays 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. George A. Hays's cause is highlighted.
How George A. Hays Compares
Offender Outcome
Committed suicide
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. George A. Hays is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. George A. Hays was killed by handgun; .45 caliber.