Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Marco Zarate was killed in a motorcycle crash in the 8500 block of Ferris Drive while pursuing a vehicle that had been involved in an earlier shoplifting.
He was responding to a shoplifting call at a Target store in Meyerland Plaza at approximately 1:30 pm and attempted to stop the suspect vehicle in the parking lot. The vehicle fled from the parking lot with Officer Zarate in pursuit. Officer Zarate's motorcycle struck a landscaping trailer as the pursuit traveled down Ferris Street, between Chimney Rock Road and South Rice Avenue.
The vehicle he was pursuing continued to flee but was eventually taken into custody. On March 8, 2019, the suspect convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Officer Zarate was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Bellaire Police Department for seven years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-CB1C0ABE- 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.
Police Officer Zarate gave the Bellaire Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Bellaire community. Thank you 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
Marco Antonio Zarate served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Police Officer Marco Antonio Zarate is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 653 of 2,421 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 27% of this state's fallen. That is 4 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Bellaire Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Marco Antonio Zarate's cause is highlighted.
How Marco Antonio Zarate Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 25 years
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Marco Antonio Zarate is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Bellaire Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
