Henderson County
Henderson County, Texas was established in 1846, the year after Texas statehood. Its first town was Buffalo, laid out in 1847. The county boundaries were set in 1850, with some reduction from the previous size. The restructuring resulted in the need for a new county seat. In an election, Athens was chosen as the site for the "courthouse under the oaks." Henderson County comprises the Athens, TX Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK Combined Statistical Area
Paul Steven Habelt
Henderson County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch Thursday, May 17, 2007
Deputy Paul Habelt and Deputy Sheriff Tony Ogburn were shot and killed after responding to a domestic violence call.
Deputies Habelt, Ogburn, and Kevin Harris responded to a domestic disturbance call in Payne Springs. When they arrived, the suspect opened fire on them with a high powered rifle. Deputies Habelt and Ogburn were killed, and Harris was wounded.
The suspect was shot and wounded by responding officers. The suspect was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.
Deputy Hablet had served in law enforcement for 43 years. He had previously served with the Oakland Police Department and South Lake Tahoe Police Department, before moving to Texas, where he served with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department for 13 years.
He was survived by his wife, six children, other relatives and a host of friends and co-workers. He was buried in the Goshen Cemetery in Henderson County.
Bio
Age 63
Tour 43 years
Badge 515
Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Weapon Rifle
Offender Sentenced to death
Tony Ogburn
End of Watch Thursday, May 17, 2007
Deputies Habelt, Ogburn, and Kevin Harris responded to a domestic disturbance call in Payne Springs. When they arrived, the suspect opened fire on them with a high powered rifle. Deputies Habelt and Ogburn were killed, and the Harris deputy was wounded.
The suspect was shot and wounded by responding officers. He was taken into custody, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death.
Deputy Ogburn had served with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department for eight years and had previously served with the Malakoff Police Department.
He was survived by his wife, four children, other relatives and a host of friends and co-workers. He was buried in the Oaklawn Cemetery in Athens, Texas
Age 61
Tour 8 years
Badge 564
Cause Gunfire
Weapon Rifle
Offender Sentenced to death
Domestic
Bennie Everett
Athens Police Department, Texas
End of Watch Thursday, January 6, 1977
Lieutenant Bennie Everett was killed after being kicked in the chest while attempting to place a prisoner in a jail cell.
Another officer immediately came to Lieutenant Everett's assistance and was able to place the subject in the cell. He then took Lieutenant Everett back to the booking area and initiated CPR when he collapsed.
Lieutenant Everett had previously served in the United States Army and was survived by his wife and three children.
Bio
Age 42
Badge 103
Military Veteran
Incident Details
Cause Assault
Weapon Person
Offender Not available
Charlie Fields
Henderson County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch Wednesday, March 7, 1956
Deputy Charlie Fields was shot and killed as he and another deputy attempted to take a man into custody on a mental health warrant. The deputies put the man into the patrol car but the man jumped out and ran back towards his house. The man's brother then engaged the deputies in a shootout. Deputy Fields and the brother were both killed.
The original suspect was committed to Terrell State Hospital.
Deputy Fields was survived by his wife and eight children.
BIO
Age 58
Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Incident Date Saturday, March 7, 1953
Weapon Gun; Unknown type
Offender Shot and killed
Elvis Brown
Henderson County Constable's Office - Precinct 8, Texas
End of Watch Thursday, June 17, 1937
Deputy Constable Elvis Brown was killed in a motorcycle crash on Texas Highway 31, between Malakoff and Trinidad, at approximately 11:00 p.m.
He attempted to pass a small delivery truck that was stopped in the roadway, possibly without its lights on. His motorcycle struck the rear of the vehicle, causing him to suffer fatal head and chest injuries. The driver of the truck took Deputy Constable Brown to a Corsicana clinic where he died the next morning at 7:00 a.m.
Two hours before his fatal motorcycle accident, he and the Precinct 8 constable had responded to the report of a disturbance at a local residence. As the two officers approached the residence, a man came out on the front porch and fired a shotgun at them. As the man reloaded his shotgun, both Deputy Constable Brown and the constable each fired one shot, killing the man instantly. The justice of the peace returned an inquest verdict that the subject died while resisting arrest.
Deputy Constable Brown was survived by his wife and a son. He is buried in Section D, Row 9, Oakwood Cemetery, Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas.
Bio
Age 26
Incident Details
Cause Motorcycle crash
Incident Date Wednesday, June 16, 1937
John Carlie Reeves
Henderson County Sheriff's Department, Texas
End of Watch Monday, September 17, 1928
Around 1:15 a.m. on September 17, 1928, Henderson County Deputy Sheriff Jphn C. Reeves while on duty and working at a dance in Malakoff, asked Jose Hernandez to leave a dance platform. Without warning Hernandez pulled a pistol and shot Deputy Sheriff Reeves in the head, killing Reeves instantly. Hernandez left the scene of the shooting, but returned a short time later and surrendered.
Henderson County Constable White and a Mr. Melvin Dodd, using Dodd's car, started with the prisoner to the county jail in Athens. Before getting out of the City of Malakoff, the car was intercepted by a party of men. Constable White was pulled out of the car and two of the men shot Hernandez seven times, killing him instantly. Neither Constable White nor Melvin Dodd was injured by the gunfire. It was reported in local news accounts that the identity of the men who shot Jose Hernandez was not known to either Constable White or Melvin Dodd.
John Carlie Reeves was survived by his wife and three small children. No cemetery record or the burial location can be located
Bio
Age 33
Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Weapon Handgun
Offender Jose Hernandez killed by mob
James Hopson
End of Watch Monday, December 10, 1917
When the officers arrived at the house, the sheriff approached from the rear as Constable Hopson approached the front door. As Constable Hopson entered the house, the suspect opened fire, killing him. As the man fled he shot and wounded the sheriff.
The suspect was captured in Corsicana, Texas, nine days later. He was convicted of Constable Hopson's murder and sentenced to life in prison. On July 3, 1921, he escaped from Blue Ridge State Prison Farm.
Constable Hopson was survived by his mother and two brothers. He is buried in an unmarked grave in the Black Jack Cemetery in rural Henderson County.
Age 38
Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Weapon Gun; Unknown type
Offender Sentenced to life
John Rhodes
Henderson County Constable's Office - Precinct 6, Texas
End of Watch Saturday, December 24, 1898
Constable John Rhodes was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man wanted for stealing hogs. The constable spotted the man trying to hid behind some bushes alongside a road. When he ordered the man to come out the suspect opened fire with a rifle, mortally wounding him. The suspect escaped.
On May 23, 1899, an angry mob hanged three men suspected of having helped the suspect escape.
Constable Rhodes had served with the agency for 3 years.
Bio
Tour 3 years
Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Incident Date Friday, December 23, 1898
Weapon Rifle
Offender At Large
Rufus H. Day
End of Watch Tuesday, December 23, 1879
In May 1883, Henry Smith was tried in Van Zandt County and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Rufus H. Day. In October 1880, Elmer Owen was tried in Henderson County and sentenced to five years in prison for horse theft.
Rufus H. Day was survived by his wife and children. He was buried in the Athens City Cemetery.
Age 40
Incident Details
Cause Gunfire
Weapon Handgun
Offender sentenced to life in prison