Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Nolan was on duty and talking to a local citizen when two armed suspects approached them. The men asked Sheriff Nolan what his name was. When Sheriff Nolan replied, the men opened fire, killing him instantly. As the citizen ran after the two suspects, he was shot and killed also.
Sheriff Nolan's brother, Deputy Thomas Nolan, had been killed in the line of duty four years earlier when Sheriff Matthew Nolan and Deputy Thomas Nolan attempted to arrest an intoxicated man.
Sheriff Nolan was a military veteran and had served with the Nueces County Sheriff's Office for five years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-1C8F940C- 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.
Sheriff Nolan gave the Nueces County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Corpus Christi 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Matthew Nolan served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Sheriff Matthew Nolan 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 Nueces County Sheriff's Office, 7 of 9 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 77.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Matthew Nolan's cause is highlighted.
How Matthew Nolan Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Matthew Nolan is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Military Service
Matthew Nolan served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Visit Matthew Nolan’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from Nueces County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
