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 94

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: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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

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; Alcohol involved

Offender Sentenced to 10 years

Sergeant William John Kuhnle, Jr. 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 Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, 35 of 95 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 36.8% of this agency's fallen.

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

of 95 officers

36.8% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious