Roll of Honor
John Clayton Billings
Incident
Constable John Billings was shot and killed from ambush while walking on a street in La Feria, Texas.
Constable Billings had been active in arresting bootleggers during prohibition. He was shot multiple times by two men armed with shotguns who then fled the scene in an automobile.
One of the men was arrested by Mexican authorities after fleeing over the border. The second subject was arrested by a United States Border Patrol inspector who obtained a confession that he had been involved in Constable Billings' murder. On January 10th, 1927, the subject and three other prisoners escaped from the Cameron County Jail. The man who murdered Constable Billings remained at large until February 3rd, 1928, when he was shot and killed in a shootout with the same Border Patrol inspector who had originally arrested him.
Constable Billings had served as the elected constable of Cameron County's Precinct 7 for just under two years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-3524642D- 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
You barely got started.
Constable Billings gave the Cameron County Constable's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Brownsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Billings.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable John Clayton Billings 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 Cameron County Constable's Office - Precinct 7, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Clayton Billings's cause is highlighted.
How John Clayton Billings Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Clayton Billings is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Clayton Billings was killed by shotgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Cameron County Constable's Office - Precinct 7 are honored on badge.nw.
