Benjamin Kyle Smith

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

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch June 23, 1958

Age 31

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 93 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 94

Incident

Patrolman Smith was shot and killed in Willis by a 14-year-old boy when he attempted to arrest him for motorcycle theft around 10:00 p.m. in Willis. The youth claimed his shotgun discharged when he dropped it as Patrolman Smith, a juvenile officer, and a constable entered his shack. The boy, who had been in trouble before, was taken into custody by the other two officers. Additional information about the suspect is unavailable since he was a juvenile at the time of the incident. Patrolman Smith was transported to a hospital in Conroe, where he succumbed to his wounds the next morning. Patrolman Smith was a United States Korean War veteran and served with the Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-27339E84
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.
Patrolman Smith gave the Texas Department of Public Safety 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Texas, 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 Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

Location Austin, TX

Platform Identity tdpsthp.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 23, 1958

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun; 410 gauge

Offender Cause: Gunfire

Military Service

Benjamin Kyle Smith served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman Benjamin Kyle Smith 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