Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Gonzalez was shot and killed while off duty by a man who held a grudge against him. Constable Gonzalez had stopped by a pool hall he owned and, as he was playing pool, was shot in the head by the suspect. The suspect was sentenced to 20 years but released after serving only 13 years. Shortly after being released he was stopped for a traffic violation by a state trooper and shot and killed when he began to struggle with the trooper. Constable Gonzalez had previously served with the Zapata County Sheriff's Department for 10 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and family.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-9AB83B77- 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.
Constable Gonzalez gave the Zapata County Constable's Office 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Zapata community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Gonzalez.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Manuel Gonzalez 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. Manuel Gonzalez's cause is highlighted.
How Manuel Gonzalez Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Manuel Gonzalez is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Manuel Gonzalez was killed by handgun; .22 caliber.