Roll of Honor
William Riley Mullins, Jr.
Incident
Patrol Officer William Mullins was shot and killed by a DUI suspect after a brief chase. Officer Mullins had been notified via his radio to be on the lookout for an intoxicated driver arriving into Yorktown from Cuero. He stopped the vehicle and checked the license and registration, and returned to his cruiser to call for backup when the suspect sped away. Officer Mullins chased him to his residence on State Highway 119, where Officer Mullins notified dispatch that he needed backup transport for the suspect to the Cuero County Jail. In the meantime, Officer Mullins exited his vehicle to speak to a relative of the suspect, and as both approached the suspect, the suspect opened fire, striking Officer Mullins in the head and chest. The backup unit arrived and found Officer Mullins on the ground and immediately called for an ambulance and assistance. Officer Mullins was transported to the Yorktown Memorial Hospital where he died that evening. The suspect was apprehended at the scene. He was originally sentenced to death, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison after an appeal in August of 1979. He was paroled on November 2, 2022, but was denied parole on January 11, 2023, due to protests. Officer Mullins was a United States Air Force veteran who served with the Yorktown Police Department for only three months and had previously served with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office for three years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, four children, parents, and three siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-7D49B5F7- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 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.
Patrol Officer Mullins gave the Yorktown Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Yorktown 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
William Riley Mullins, Jr. served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Patrol Officer William Riley Mullins, Jr. is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,460 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Riley Mullins, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How William Riley Mullins, Jr. Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William Riley Mullins, Jr. is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William Riley Mullins, Jr. was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Military Service
William Riley Mullins, Jr. served in the U.S. Air Force before joining law enforcement.
Visit William Riley Mullins, Jr.’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Yorktown Police Department are honored on badge.nw.