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Winston James Rawlins
Agency patch
Police Officer

Winston James Rawlins

Houston Police Department — Houston, TX
Accident
United States flag Texas flag
End of Watch March 29, 1982
Age 23
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Badge 1787
The Vigil Panel 125 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 116

Incident

Officer Winston Rawlins was killed by a fireball that resulted from an accident in which a gasoline truck was struck by a tractor-trailer in the 9000 block of South Loop East. Officer Rawlins was conducting a traffic stop when traffic began to back up. A gasoline truck had slowed down due to traffic and stopped in traffic next to Officer Rawlins. A tractor-trailer then struck the right side of the gasoline truck then, striking Officer Rawlins and killing him. When Officer Rawlins observed the impending accident, he was able to push the citizen to safety. When the tractor-trailer struck the gasoline truck, a fireball erupted, and Officer Rawlins was trapped in it. Later that day, Houston Police Officer William DeLeon was struck and killed on his motorcycle by a speeding motorist. Officer Rawlins had been with the Houston Police Department for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his two daughters, parents, and two brothers.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Rawlins gave the Houston Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Rawlins.

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

Agency

Department Houston Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Houston, Harris County, TX
Platform Identity hpd.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 29, 1982
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 23
Badge Number 1787
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Winston is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1982, 70 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 48th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Winston was 23. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Winston had served 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

March holds 7.4% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Mondays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Houston Police Department has 117 officers remembered here, Winston among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Winston James Rawlins

Houston Police Department · End of Watch March 29, 1982

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 2-E

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