Albert Edwin Cooke

Waller County Sheriff's Office — Hempstead, TX

Felonious

End of Watch April 18, 1975

Age 39

The Vigil Panel 115 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Chief Deputy Sheriff Albert Cooke was shot and killed with his own service weapon while transporting a prisoner to the county jail. The juvenile prisoner had just been arrested for burglarizing a local gas station. The subject was able to gain control of Chief Deputy Cooke's service revolver and shot him in the head six times. His body was found approximately two miles outside of town. The suspect was arrested by Texas Rangers a short time later. Chief Deputy Cooke was survived by his wife and two children. His father, Chief Deputy Charles Cooke, was killed in the line of duty while serving with the Waller County Sheriff's Office on November 6th, 1967.

Survivors

Chief Deputy Cooke was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-9C1405AB
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.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Cooke served with the Waller County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Hempstead community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief Deputy Sheriff Cooke.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Waller County Sheriff's Office

Location Hempstead, TX

Platform Identity wcso.waller.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 18, 1975

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender transport

Chief Deputy Sheriff Albert Edwin Cooke 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 Waller County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 20% of this agency's fallen.

Waller County Sheriff's Office

of 5 officers

20% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious