Billy Paul Speed

Austin Police Dept. — Austin, TX

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch August 1, 1966

Age 23

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 1 mo

Badge 37

The Vigil Panel 101 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 27

Incident

Police Officer Billy Speed was shot and killed by a sniper on the clock tower at the University of Texas. He was eating lunch in a nearby cafe when he heard the rifle fire. When he went to investigate he was shot by the sniper. The sniper killed a total of 14 people and injured 31 others before several officers and civilians made it to the top of the tower and fatally shot him. Officer Speed was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and had served with the Austin Police Department for 13 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-29863858
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.
Police Officer Speed gave the Austin Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Austin 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 Austin Police Dept.

Location Austin, TX

Platform Identity apd.travis.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 1, 1966

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 1 mo

Age 23

Badge Number 37

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Offender Shot and killed

Military Service

Billy Paul Speed served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Billy Paul Speed 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 Austin Police Dept., 12 of 28 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Austin Police Dept.

of 28 officers

42.9% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious