Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Meister was shot and killed during a drug sting operation. He and another deputy were ambushed by three suspects at the scene in Lytle, Texas. Chief Deputy Meister was shot twice by one of the suspects with a .22 caliber rifle. The other deputy was able to return fire, killing two of the men. The third man was taken into custody after trying to flee the area and charged with capital murder.
Survivors
Chief Deputy Meister was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-65940362- 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.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Meister served with the Zavala County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Crystal City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Deputy Sheriff Meister.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Norris Meister 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. Ken Norris Meister's cause is highlighted.
How Ken Norris Meister Compares
Offender Outcome
Not available
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Ken Norris Meister is highlighted in Apr.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Ken Norris Meister was killed by rifle; .22 caliber.