Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy City Marshal Levi Neal was shot and killed while escorting a man to jail. He had arrested the man and while walking towards the jail the man pulled out a pistol from under his coat and shot Neal. Neal is the one of the early African American law enforcement officers to be killed in the line of duty in Texas. He had previously survived a shootout on May 15, 1885 that took the life of Bryan deputy city marshal Levin P. Smith, Jr. On December 2, 1888, Neal was with Bryan City Marshal M. M. Wilcox when he was killed attempting to serve a warrant. The 53-year-old subject who murdered him was sentenced to life in prison. He died in prison May 17, 1904. Neal had been in law enforcement for about 20 years. He was buried in an unmarked grave in the Bryan City Cemetery. His grave site could not be located but a marker commemorating his service was later erected.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-85960609- 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
20 years. You could have gone home.
Deputy City Marshal Neal gave the Bryan Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Bryan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy City Marshal Neal.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy City Marshal Levi Neal 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 Bryan Police Department, 5 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Levi Neal's cause is highlighted.
How Levi Neal Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Levi Neal is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Levi Neal was killed by handgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from Bryan Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
