Gary Don McCarthy
Agency patch
Officer

Gary Don McCarthy

Dallas Police Department — Dallas, TX
Felonious
End of Watch February 26, 1988
Age 33
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 2 mo
Badge 5508
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Gary McCarthy was shot and killed during an armed robbery at a grocery store at the intersection of North Hampton Road and Singleton Boulevard Officer McCarthy was working an off-duty job as a security officer. An armed man entered and began robbing the manager. Officer McCarthy identified himself and was shot in the chest. He was able to return fire but did not strike the shooter. The assailant was apprehended several days later, tried and convicted; he was sentenced to death and executed in December 2001. Officer McCarthy had served with the Dallas Police Department for one year.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtn4d9vxz9e6y1x2ws7sq
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Gary. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

You barely got started.
Officer McCarthy gave the Dallas Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer McCarthy.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Dallas, Collin County, TX
Platform Identity dpd.dallas.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 26, 1988
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 2 mo
Age 33
Badge Number 5508
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Gary is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1988, 97 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 55th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Gary was 33. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Gary had served 1.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

February holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Dallas Police Department has 95 officers remembered here, Gary among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Gary Don McCarthy

Dallas Police Department · End of Watch February 26, 1988

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 27-W

↑