Sammy Charles Long

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol — Austin, TX

Felonious

End of Watch November 21, 1976

Age 39

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

The Vigil Panel 117 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 94

Incident

Patrolman Sammy Long was shot and killed after making a traffic stop on US 67, five miles east of Rankin, Texas. Patrolman Long was finishing a traffic stop when a truck passed him, traveling over 100 miles per hour. He pursued the vehicle and pulled the vehicle over. The suspect, who was AWOL from the U.S. Navy and driving a stolen vehicle, opened fire with a .32 caliber handgun as Patrolman Long approached the vehicle, knocking him to the ground. The suspect then took Patrolman Long's service weapon and shot him in the back six times as he lay on the ground. A citizen, who was an avid deer hunter returning from a hunting trip, was stopped at a rest stop 150 yards from the traffic stop and witnessed the shooting. The man immediately retrieved his hunting rifle and shot the suspect at a range of 150 yards, killing him. Patrolman Long had served with the Texas Highway Patrol for 18 years and was stationed at McCamey.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TX-BD4CFC2C
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.
Patrolman Long gave the Texas Department of Public Safety 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Texas. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Long.

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

Agency

Department Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

Location Austin, TX

Platform Identity tdpsthp.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 21, 1976

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Age 39

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Shot and killed by citizen

Patrolman Sammy Charles Long 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 Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, 35 of 95 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 36.8% of this agency's fallen.

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol

of 95 officers

36.8% Felonious

TX — Statewide

1,463

of 2,421 officers

60.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious