Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Meyer was shot and killed while working in the Galveston County Jail. A person entered the jail, asked to see an inmate, and then pulled out a handgun and gave it to the inmate. A jail trustee began to struggle with the inmate, and the weapon discharged, striking Deputy Meyer in the stomach. The suspect, and the inmate he came to see, both escaped but were later apprehended.
On September 11, 1931, the inmates visitor, 39, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years. He was pardoned on March 22, 1934. The inmate, 25, under a 35 year sentence for armed robbery, was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate on February 12, 1933, at Huntsville Penitentiary.
Deputy Sheriff Joe Meyer, Sr. was a Galveston police officer and a detective before joining the Sheriff's Department.
Survivors
Deputy Meyer had been with the agency for six years and was survived by his wife and seven children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-BEEC04F1- 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
22 years. You could have gone home.
Deputy Sheriff Meyer gave the Galveston County Sheriff's Office 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Galveston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Meyer.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Joseph A. Meyer 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 Galveston County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 5 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joseph A. Meyer's cause is highlighted.
How Joseph A. Meyer Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced 10 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Joseph A. Meyer is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Joseph A. Meyer was killed by handgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Galveston County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
