Roll of Honor
Henry Ward
Incident
Dog Sergeant Henry Ward was shot and killed during an escape at the Imperial State Farm Number 2 (modern-day Central Unit) near Sugar Land in Fort Bend County, Texas.
Several prisoners had attacked another guard and disarmed him of his pistol and shotgun. As the guard retreated on horseback, the convicts began firing at him. Hearing the shooting, Sergeant Ward immediately went to the guard's assistance but was struck by a shotgun blast and fell from his horse. He was then shot through the throat with a pistol and died within minutes.
A total of eight inmates escaped from the farm but were apprehended by a posse. Seven of the inmates were charged with murdering Sergeant Ward and wounding two of the deputies in the posse. Two inmates were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. One of the inmates was pardoned on August 12th, 1943, and the other was pardoned on September 30th, 1944.
Deputy Sheriff Frank Bell, one of the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office deputies who was wounded, died in the line of duty on October 10th, 1930, in an unrelated automobile crash.
One of the inmates who participated in the escape had been involved in an escape on July 22th, 1926, in which Guard William Rader was shot and killed at the Ferguson State Farm. The inmate was released on April 5th, 1940.
Thank you for your service and on days like this we remind you and your family that your sacrifice is one that will never, ever be forgotten. Rest in peace always.
Detective Cpl/3 Steven Rizzo Delaware State Police (Retired) July 22nd, 2020
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-TX-20A77866- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Dog Sergeant Ward served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Dog Sergeant Ward.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Dog Sergeant Henry Ward 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 Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, 31 of 124 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Henry Ward's cause is highlighted.
How Henry Ward Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Henry Ward is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
