East Texas 100 Club
Greg County Courthouse

Gregg County, Texas

Gregg County is part of the Longview, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Longview–Marshall, TX Combined Statistical Area. Discovery of oil near Kilgore, Texas in October 1920 was the beginning of an oil boom that attracted workers to the county and expanded the population by more than 500% by 1940, according to the census. By that time, the economy had stabilized but the East Texas Oil Field, extending in five counties, has continued to be important to the county and region's economy.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN GREGG COUNTY

POLICE DEPARTMENTS

 Gladewater, Kilgore College, Kilgore Fire Marshall, Lakeport, Longview, Longview City Marshall, and White Oak.

GREGG COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN LONGVIEW

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN LONGVIEW

GREGG COUNTY CONSTABLES, PRECINCTS 1-4


Robert Ransom

Gregg County Sheriff's Office, Texas

End of Watch Friday, September 30, 2016

Corporal Robert Ransom suffered a fatal heart attack inside the Marvin A. Smith Criminal Justice Facility while responding to a medical emergency involving an inmate.

As other deputies attempted to revive the inmate Jailer Ransom rushed to retrieve an AED. He collapsed moments later. Both he and the inmate were transported to Good Sheppard Medical Center where he passed away. The inmate that Corporal Ransom was assisting survived and was returned to the jail.

Corporal Ransom had served with the Gregg County Sheriff's Office for 11 years and had previously served with the Porter County, Indiana, Sheriff's Office for 25 years. He is survived by his children and two brothers.

Bio

Age 62

Tour 36 years


Incident Details

Cause Heart attack


Vance Howard Clements

Gregg County Sheriff's Office, Texas

End of Watch Thursday, February 1, 2001


Deputy Sheriff Vance Clements was killed in a single-vehicle crash while responding to a disturbance call. 

During the response, his patrol car left the roadway and struck a tree in front of the First Baptist Church of Judson. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. 

Deputy Clements had served with the Gregg County Sheriff's Office for 10 years. He is survived by his son, parents, and brother.

Bio

Age 32

Tour 10 years

Badge 521


Incident Details

Cause Automobile crash

Marion Dyer Hodges

Gregg County Sheriff's Office, Texas

End of Watch Sunday, August 4, 1991

Deputy Sheriff Marion Hodges died when he fell off an embankment while assisting state troopers at the scene of a traffic accident.

Bio

Age Not available

Tour Not available

Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Fall

Randy Loy Davis

Longview Police Department, Texas

End of Watch Friday, January 27, 1984


Sergeant Davis was shot and killed as he and other narcotics officers served a warrant in a hotel room. Sergeant Davis had obtained a key from the hotel manager in order to gain quick access to the room in order to keep the suspect from destroying evidence. As he began to open the door a single shot was fired from within the room and struck him in the chest. The suspect was arrested after a brief standoff.

Sergeant Davis had been with the agency for seven years and had been with two other agencies as well. He was survived by his wife and two children.

Bio

Age 28

Tour 7 years


Incident Details

Cause Gunfire

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Apprehended

Marshall Jefferson Sowders

Longview Police Department, Texas

End of Watch Tuesday, November 22, 1977


Patrolman Marshall Sowders was shot and killed when he made a traffic stop of two robbery suspects, a man and a woman while en route to an armed robbery call. The call was the second such call in less than one hour. During his response he noticed a suspicious vehicle, turned his cruiser around, and stopped the vehicle. As Patrolman Sowders approached the vehicle the male driver suddenly exited and opened fire with a .357 caliber handgun, striking him four times. Both suspects were captured in nearby Gilmer after a shootout with police in which the woman was critically wounded. The man was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. On April 10, 1991, his sentence was commuted to life.


Patrolman Sowders had served with the agency for three months and had previously served with another agency. He was survived by his wife.


Bio

Age 28

Tour 3 months


Incident Details

Cause Gunfire

Weapon Handgun; .357 caliber

Offender Sentenced to life

Harvey L Stevens

Longview Police Department, Texas
End of Watch Wednesday, January 5, 1972

Patrolman Stevens was struck by a vehicle and killed while investigating an earlier accident. He had walked onto one of the travel lanes to measure skid marks. Another motorist failed to see him and struck him.
Patrolman Stevens had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his wife and two children.

Bio
Age 49
Tour 7 years

Incident Details

Cause Struck by vehicle.

Walter A. Connell

Longview Police Department, Texas

End of Watch Thursday, May 27, 1971


Sergeant Connell suffered a fatal heart attack after being taken hostage by a suspect. He and another detective had gone to a person's house while investigating a series of armed robberies. The person supposedly had information about the suspect. When they knocked on the door, it was answered by the suspect, who was holding a handgun. The suspect took both officers hostage and bound their hands and feet with handcuffs and electrical tape. The suspect then fled the scene.

Sergeant Connell was able to crawl to a phone and call dispatchers to report their situation. He then collapsed on the floor as he suffered a major heart attack brought on by the stress of the situation.

Sergeant Connell had been with the department for 17 years and was survived by his wife and two children


Bio

Age 55

Tour 17 years


Incident Details

Cause Heart attack

Boyd Gaunt

Longview Police Department, Texas

End of Watch Sunday, May 2, 1948


Patrolman Gaunt and Patrolman Bura Roberts were killed in an automobile accident while responding to a fire. Their patrol car struck a firetruck responding to the same call. A firefighter riding on the back of the firetruck was also killed in the accident.

Patrolman Gaunt had served with the agency for 1 year.


Bio

Age 36

Tour 1 year


Incident Details

Cause Automobile crash

Bura Clora Roberts 

Longview Police Department, Texas

End of Watch Sunday, May 2, 1948


Patrolman Roberts and Patrolman Boyd Gaunt were killed in an automobile accident while responding to a fire. Their patrol car struck a firetruck responding to the same call. A firefighter riding on the back of the firetruck was also killed in the accident.

Patrolman Roberts had served with the agency for 4 years.


Bio

Age 45

Tour 4 years


Incident Details

Cause Automobile crash

James W. Killingsworth

Gregg County Sheriff's Office, Texas

End of Watch Friday, December 29, 1939


Deputy Sheriff James Killingsworth was shot and killed as he and other deputies attempted to arrest a man for several robberies committed in Titus County and Upshur County.

The deputies located the man hiding underneath a bed that the man's mother was lying on. When the deputies ordered the man to come out he opened fire with a handgun, mortally wounding Deputy Killingsworth. The other deputies returned fire and killed the suspect.

Deputy Killingsworth was survived by his wife and three children.


Bio

Age 32


Incident Details

Cause Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Offender Not available

John Carter Scroggins

Kilgore Police Department, Texas

End of Watch Sunday, December 12, 1937


Officer John Scroggins succumbed to injuries sustained the previous night when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while directing traffic at the scene of an accident on Longview-Kilgore Highway. A suspect was arrested shortly after the incident and was charged with murder after Officer Scroggins died.

Officer Scroggins had served with the Kilgore Police Department for 5 years. He was survived by his wife, son, parents, brother, and three sisters. He is buried in Huntington Cemetery, near Lufkin, Texas.


Bio

Age 37

Tour 5 years


Incident Details

Cause Vehicular assault

Incident Date Saturday, December 11, 1937

Weapon Automobile

Offender Apprehended

James Elbert Grigsby

Rusk County Constable's Office - Precinct 3, Texas
End of Watch Tuesday, November 23, 1937

Precinct 3 Constable James Elbert Grigsby of Tatum in Rusk County went to question Angus Williams about a recent burglary in nearby Panola County. Williams and another man were standing together as Constable Grigsby approached. Williams fired one blast from a single barreled shotgun loaded with No. 4 shot that killed Constable Grigsby. Williams fled to his home. A posse of 150 men was searching for Williams, but heavy rain obliterated the trail. Williams decided he could not escape and shot himself in the head with his shotgun the next day. Williams was an ex-convict who was sentenced to 99-years in prison for killing his wife in 1923. He had been recently released on parole. 
Constable Grigsby, 29, had served 9 months before being slain in the line of duty. He was married but no report of whether he had any children. His parents survived him as did numerous brothers and sisters. He was buried in the Harmony Hills Cemetery in Rusk County. 

In 1937, the constable for Tatum in Rusk County was elected in Precinct 3. Today, Precinct 2 covers the Tatum area.

Bio
Age 29
Tour 9 months, 3 weeks

Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Weapon Shotgun

Offender committed suicide.

G. A. "Andy" Fambrough

Gregg County Constable's Office - Precinct 4, Texas

End of Watch Friday, August 14, 1914


Special Constable Fambrough was shot and killed as he and the constable attempted to arrest a man at his home in Elderville. As the two officers stepped onto the man's porch he opened fire with a shotgun, killing Special Constable Fambrough and wounding the constable.

Despite being seriously wounded, the constable was able to return fire and killed the suspect.


Bio

Age 36


Incident Details

Cause Gunfire

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Shot and killed

George Tabler

Longview Police Department, Texas

End of Watch Friday, September 24, 1886

George Tabler was shot and killed in an act of revenge by a father and son for an incident in which the marshal had shot and killed another family member during an arrest attempt three months earlier.
Marshal Tabler was survived by his wife.

Bio
Age 30

Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Weapon Gun; Unknown type
Offender Not available