Roll of Honor
Elijah Garretson
Incident
Police Officer Elijah Garretson was ambushed and killed near the intersection of Lost Trail and Great Hills Drive in Copperas Cove while responding to reports of a suspicious person.
After lengthy negotiations with officers, the suspect was discovered dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The suspect was on probation and wanted on a DWI warrant.
Officer Garretson was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Copperas Cove Police Department for seven months. A recent graduate of the Central Texas College Police Academy, he received the Academic Award for the highest grade point average in the class.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-DB17F6F5- 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 Garretson served with the Copperas Cove Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Copperas Cove 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
Elijah Garretson served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Police Officer Elijah Garretson 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. Elijah Garretson's cause is highlighted.
How Elijah Garretson Compares
Offender Outcome
Committed suicide
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Elijah Garretson is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Elijah Garretson was killed by not available.