Roll of Honor
Incident
Constable Ben Wicker succumbed to gunshot wounds received three weeks earlier when he was shot after responding to a shots fired call at a cafe in Ferris, Texas. Constable Wicker was searching several men when one of them suddenly pulled a handgun and opened fire, striking Constable Wicker several times before he had a chance to draw his own weapon. The suspect was apprehended, sentenced to death, and executed on March 11, 1964. Constable Wicker had served with the Ellis County Constable's Office - Precinct 2 for four years and simultaneously served as the Ferris City Marshal for eight years. He retired from the Dallas Police Department.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, daughter, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-DF7B654D- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
34 years. You could have gone home.
Constable Wicker gave the Ellis County Constable's Office 34 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Waxahachie community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Wicker.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable James Ben Wicker 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. James Ben Wicker's cause is highlighted.
How James Ben Wicker Compares
Offender Outcome
Executed in 1964
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Ben Wicker is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Ben Wicker was killed by handgun; pistol.