William John Kuhnle Jr.

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch May 21, 1989

Age 36

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

The Vigil Panel 134 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 95

Incident

Sergeant Kuhnle and Trooper Ralph Zerda were killed when a drunk truck driver crashed his tractor-trailer into their parked patrol car. The officers were parked on the shoulder after stopping another drunk driver. The drunk driver was sentenced to two concurrent 10-year sentences in prison but was released after serving only four years. Sergeant Kuhnle had served with the Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol for 11 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-6B5DC651
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Kuhnle gave the Texas Department of Public Safety 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Texas. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Kuhnle.

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

Agency

Department Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

Type Highway Patrol

Location Austin, TX

Platform Identity tdpsthp.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 21, 1989

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile

Sergeant William John Kuhnle Jr. 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 Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, 36 of 96 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 37.5% of this agency's fallen.

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

of 96 officers

37.5% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,461

of 2,422 officers

60.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious