Bill Lankford Cornell

Deputy Constable Bill Cornell suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to arrest two men whom he caught breaking into a work van at a construction next to his home in the 900 block of Wooded Acres Drive.

He was able to arrest one subject and then fired two shots at the second subject but was unable to arrest him. He took the man back to his apartment and called the Waco Police Department before collapsing. The subject he arrested began CPR on him, and responding officers also attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful.

The man he arrested was charged with burglary.

Deputy Constable Cornell was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII. He had served with the Waco Police Department for 20 years and had previously served as the elected constable of Precinct 1 before being defeated. The new constable had appointed him as a deputy constable following the election.