Incident
Constable Stevens was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man who was firing a gun in the street. Constable Stevens was off duty when he received the report and responded to the scene. When he attempted to arrest the man a struggle ensued and the suspect gained control of his service weapon and shot him.
The suspect, a local doctor, was apprehended three weeks later in Atlanta, Georgia.
Constable Stevens had been with the agency for 12 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and five children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-0AB29905- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew James. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Stevens gave the Wise County Constable's Office 12 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chico community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable James B. Stevens 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. James B. Stevens's cause is highlighted.
How James B. Stevens Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James B. Stevens is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James B. Stevens was killed by officer's handgun.