Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Ragsdale and Deputy Joseph Buchanan were shot and killed as they attempted to serve warrants on suspected horse thiefs. As the officers approached the house the two brothers opened fire, killing them.
Survivors
Sheriff Ragsdale had been with the agency for five years and was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-AEE61FBF- 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
141 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sheriff Ragsdale gave the Fannin County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Bonham community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff Thomas A. Ragsdale is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Fannin County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas A. Ragsdale's cause is highlighted.
How Thomas A. Ragsdale Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas A. Ragsdale is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Fannin County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
