Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff John Cave succumbed to a gunshot wound he received while trying to arrest a soldier at a saloon outside Fort Clark in Bracketville.
The soldier returned to the saloon with a rifle on a mission to retaliate against a subject he had fought with earlier in the evening. When he fired his rifle outside of the saloon, Deputy Cave arrived on the scene. Deputy Cave asked the subject to put down his weapon, but the subject shot him in the left arm. The bullet traveled through his abdomen and exited his back.
The subject was arrested but escaped prison two weeks later. No additional details were found on the suspect.
Deputy Cave was a Texas Ranger veteran.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-452515FF- 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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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.
Deputy Sheriff Cave served with the Kinney County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Brackettville community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
John Cave served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Deputy Sheriff John Cave 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 Kinney County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Cave's cause is highlighted.
How John Cave Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Cave is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Cave was killed by rifle.
Military Service
John Cave served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Visit John Cave’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Kinney County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
