Jack Bill Beets

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch April 30, 1955

Age 30

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 3 mo

Badge 1214

The Vigil Panel 91 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 116

Incident

Officer Beets and Captain Charles Gougenheim were shot and killed while checking liquor licenses at a local bar at 3303 Nance Street. As Officer Beets was leaning behind the bar to read a beer license the bar owner's brother shot him. Officer Beets never saw his attacker. The suspect then ran out of the bar and opened fire on Captain Gougenheim, who was waiting in the patrol car parked outside. Captain Gougenheim exited the car and returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect, however, was fatally wounded himself. Officer Beets was a U.S Navy veteran of WWII and had served with the Houston Police Department for more than three years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-C09AF4A6
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Jack 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.
Police Officer Beets gave the Houston Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston 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 Houston Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Houston, Harris County, TX

Platform Identity hpd.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 30, 1955

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 3 mo

Age 30

Badge Number 1214

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Jack Bill Beets served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Jack Bill Beets 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,460 of 2,421 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 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.

Houston Police Department

of 117 officers

71.8% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,460

of 2,421 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious