Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Emilio Mestas

Clayton Police Department — Clayton, NM

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch July 19, 1973

Age 55

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

The Vigil Panel 112 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Sergeant Emilio Mestas was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance caused by a large group of teenagers. Several subjects had led officers in a vehicle pursuit and led them to a home on Oak Street where approximately 40 teenagers had been causing a problem all night. As several officers got out of their patrol car, one of the teenagers opened fire, striking Sergeant Mestas in the head. He was taken to Northwest Texas Hospital, where he succumbed to his wound the following morning. The suspect was apprehended, convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and sentenced to ten years in jail. Sergeant Mestas was a United States Army WWII veteran and had been with the Clayton Police Department for 13 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and nine children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NM-84ABAB45
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 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 Mestas gave the Clayton Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Clayton 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

Department Clayton Police Department

Location Clayton, NM

Platform Identity cpd.union.nm.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 19, 1973

Tour of Duty 13 yrs

Age 55

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to ten years

Military Service

Emilio Mestas served in the Army (1942â1945) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Emilio Mestas 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 NM, 123 of 193 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.7% of this state's fallen. That is 9.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

Clayton Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

NM — Statewide

123

of 193 officers

63.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Emilio Mestas's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Emilio Mestas Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

Offender Outcome

Sentenced to ten years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Emilio Mestas is highlighted in Jul.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Emilio Mestas was killed by gun; unknown type.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518