Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Gary Bryant was shot and killed while investigating a hit-and-run crash around 2:00 p.m. Patrolman Bryant had located the suspect and was shot when he was attempting to arrest him. His body was found under a pile of leaves in the front yard of a house with six gunshot wounds. He had been shot once in the head with his own .45 caliber handgun, which the suspect stole. The other five shots were from the suspect's .22 caliber weapon. His patrol car was located on FM 2440 (present-day Manheim Road) near Giddings, approximately a mile away. The suspect was found to be in the United States illegally from Mexico and was later found incompetent to stand trial. He was deported to an institution in Mexico. Patrolman Bryant was a United States Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Giddings Police Department for five years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, daughter, two sons, granddaughter, mother, and two brothers.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-B8F04574- 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 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.
Patrolman Bryant gave the Giddings Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Giddings 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
Gary Joe Bryant served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Patrolman Gary Joe Bryant 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. Gary Joe Bryant's cause is highlighted.
How Gary Joe Bryant Compares
Offender Outcome
Deported
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Gary Joe Bryant is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Gary Joe Bryant was killed by handgun; .22 caliber.