Ruben Almanza
Sergeant

Ruben Almanza

Corpus Christi Police Department — Corpus Christi, TX
End of Watch July 28, 1984
Age 37
The Vigil Panel 128 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Ruben Almanza succumbed to wounds he received when he was shot while searching for a robbery suspect at the 3600 block of Lamont Street. The suspect exited the store brandishing a gun after robbing the store. He stole a vehicle in the parking lot and crashed that vehicle into a parked car and tree on Carroll Lane. He then fled on foot, shooting at officers as he hid in the neighborhood. Sergeant Almaza was standing behind a fence when the suspect shot Sergeant Almanza through the fence from an adjacent yard. The man jumped over the fence and shot him again while he was on the ground. A responding officer attempted to get the suspect to surrender, but when he fired again, he was shot and killed. Sergeant Almanza was transported to Memorial Medical Center, where he died the next day. Sergeant Almanza was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Corpus Christi Police Department for nine years, assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, three daughters, father, brother, and eight sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-6AE05D2D
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.
Sergeant Almanza served with the Corpus Christi Police Department.
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

Type Other
Location Corpus Christi, Nueces County, TX
Platform Identity ccpd.nueces.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 28, 1984
Age 37
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Military Service

Ruben Almanza served in the U.S. Army (1966–1968) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Ruben Almanza 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 Corpus Christi Police Department, 7 of 16 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 43.8% of this agency's fallen.

Corpus Christi Police Department
7
of 16 officers
43.8% 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. Ruben Almanza's cause is highlighted.

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

How Ruben Almanza Compares

Age at Death
37
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Ruben Almanza is highlighted in Jul.

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. Ruben Almanza was killed by gun.

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

Incident Location

Military Service

Ruben Almanza served in the U.S. Army (1966–1968) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Ruben Almanza’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.