Robert E. Hawks
Agency patch
Deputy City Marshal

Robert E. Hawks

Temple Police Department — Temple, TX
Felonious
End of Watch May 19, 1889
Age 33
The Vigil Panel 10 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Marshal Hawks was shot and killed by a suspect who was upset about a court-imposed fine Marshal Hawks attempted to collect earlier in the day. The suspect shot Marshal Hawks in a saloon later in the night. Because there were no witnesses to the murder the suspect was later acquitted. On his way home from the courthouse an angry mob of citizens, upset at the verdict, beat the suspect and an accomplice to death.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-22B336C6
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

137 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy City Marshal Hawks served with the Temple Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Temple community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Temple, Bell County, TX
Platform Identity tpd.bell.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 19, 1889
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Deputy City Marshal Robert E. Hawks 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 Temple Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Temple Police Department
2
of 4 officers
50% Felonious
TX — Statewide
1,461
of 2,422 officers
60.3% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert E. Hawks's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Robert E. Hawks Compares

Age at Death
33
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Robert E. Hawks is highlighted in May.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Robert E. Hawks was killed by gun; unknown type.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909