Humberto Javier Avila

Mission Police Department — Mission, TX

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch October 2, 1974

Age 38

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 114 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 3

Incident

Patrolman Humberto Avila was killed when the helicopter he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff. It was later determined that the cause of the accident was due to the use of the wrong type of bolts. Dispatcher Douglas Dodson of the Harlingen Police Department, who was acting as observer, was also killed. The helicopter was co-owned by several regional agencies. Patrolman Avila was a U.S. Army veteran and served with the Mission Police Department for six years.was survived by his wife and six children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-47395603
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Humberto is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Avila gave the Mission Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Mission community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Mission Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Mission, Hidalgo County, TX

Platform Identity misspd.hidalgo.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 2, 1974

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Humberto Javier Avila served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Humberto Javier Avila is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In TX, 657 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27.1% of this state's fallen. That is 27.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Mission Police Department, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Mission Police Department

of 4 officers

25% Accident

TX — Statewide

657

of 2,421 officers

27.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident