Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff Doc Anderson was shot and killed when he responded to a disturbance call at a saloon in Sanderson.
He was warned that a suspect inside was armed, but the sheriff did not think the man was a threat. As he entered the saloon, the suspect shot him three times, killing him. The suspect was shot and killed a few minutes later by a constable when he stepped outside.
Sheriff Anderson had been with the Terrell County Sheriff's Office for three years and had also served as a U.S. Customs inspector.
Sheriff Doc Anderson was shot and killed when he responded to a disturbance call at a saloon in Sanderson.
The Terrell County Heritage Museum would like to honor the memory of one our own. He was the second sheriff of Terrell County, and he was already a legendary figure who had been a Regulator Rider during the Lincoln County Wars.
Museum Director, Jerry Brotherton Terrell County Heritage Museum August 20th, 2025
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-938B647E- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Anderson gave the Terrell County Sheriff's Office 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Sanderson community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Anderson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff David L. "Doc" Anderson 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David L. "Doc" Anderson's cause is highlighted.
How David L. "Doc" Anderson Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. David L. "Doc" Anderson is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. David L. "Doc" Anderson was killed by gun; unknown type.