Thomas Allen

Austin Police Dept. — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch October 24, 1915

Age 39

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 11 mo

Badge 51

The Vigil Panel 30 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Police Officer Thomas Allen was shot and killed by the editor of a black newspaper in San Antonio during a dispute about articles the editor had written. The reporter wrote several articles that Officer Allen had mistreated women during arrests. The journalist met Officer Allen at Jennings Drug Store in the 400 block of East Sixth Street and shot him following an earlier confrontation at a nearby wagon yard. Officer Allen was part of Austin's Mounted Patrol and was the city's second African-American lawman. He was reportedly killed 30 feet from where Officer John Gaines had been killed in 1913. Officer Allen is buried in Round Rock Cemetery, Williamson County, Texas. Officer Allen served with the Austin Police Department for less than two years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-E7FDFDFD
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

You barely got started.
Police Officer Allen gave the Austin Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Allen.

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

Agency

Department Austin Police Dept.

Location Austin, TX

Platform Identity apd.travis.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 24, 1915

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 11 mo

Age 39

Badge Number 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Not available

Police Officer Thomas Allen is one of 17,620 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,509 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,460 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 6.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Austin Police Dept., 12 of 28 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Austin Police Dept.

of 28 officers

42.9% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,460

of 2,421 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,620

of 32,509 officers

54.2% Felonious