Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Sam Teas was inadvertently shot and killed by a Caldwell County sheriff's deputy while making an arrest in Dale.
He and three county sheriff's deputies had gone to Dale to serve a warrant on a man who was wanted for arson. The man initially refused to open the door, but then lit a match as if he were about to unlatch the door. One of the deputies observed that the man had a pistol pointed at the officers.
One of the deputies fired a shot at the man before the officers broke down the door. Constable Teas handed one of the deputies his pistol and attempted to handcuff the man, but he became tangled in the bedclothes and fell into the deputy. The impact of the fall caused the deputy to accidentally discharge one of the pistols, which struck Constable Teas in the shoulder and instantly killed him.
The wanted man fled the home but was later arrested and placed in the county jail.
Constable Teas and the deputy were close friends.
Constable Teas was survived by his wife and two children. He was buried in the Lockhart City Cemetery.
Survivors
Constable Teas was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-38F1A980- Stewardship
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- 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.
Constable Teas served with the Caldwell County Constable's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Lockhart community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Teas.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Sam B. Teas is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Sam B. Teas's cause is highlighted.
How Sam B. Teas Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Sam B. Teas is highlighted in Dec.