Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Jerry Leon Spruill

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 26, 1972

Age 29

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo

Badge 2458

The Vigil Panel 111 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 116

Incident

Police Officer Jerry Spruill was shot and killed in the 600 block of Westheimer Road after being set up in an ambush while working a uniformed, off-duty security detail. He had gone inside to call dispatch when a man came in and told him his car's lights were on. When he went outside to check on the car, two suspects approached him and shot him in the back six times. He was transported to Ben Taub Hospital where he was pronounced dead at around midnight. One suspect was apprehended and sentenced to 38 years for Officer Spruill's murder and was sentenced to life in prison in connection with the attempted murder of two other officers. The suspect was released after serving only 14 years. The second suspect has never been apprehended. Officer Spruill was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Houston Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-26705A25
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. Jerry 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 Spruill 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 October 26, 1972

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo

Age 29

Badge Number 2458

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Jerry Leon Spruill served in the U.S. Army (1964â1967) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Jerry Leon Spruill 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