Governor Greg Abbott presented the Star of Texas Awards to first responders, peace officers and firefighters who have demonstrated remarkable courage and heroism in serving and protecting their communities throughout the state.
“Today, Texas honors the extraordinary few – those who have demonstrated the character and the courage to repeatedly put their lives on the line to serve and protect their communities,” said Governor Abbott. “Today we recognize acts of uncommon valor – by first responders, firefighters and law enforcement officers – willing to put everything on the line to keep us safe. All of the men and women who protect and serve, and the families who stand by their sides, deserve our deepest respect. They represent the very best of Texas.”
The 2016 recipients of the Star of Texas Awards are:
Peace Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
- Darrell Lamond Allen, Marlin Police Department
- Adrian Arellano, El Paso Police Department
- Richard Allen Brush, Point Comfort Police Department
- Paul Aaron Buckles, Potter County Sheriff’s Office
- Caran Renee Coward, Livingston Police Department
- Reuben B. DeLeon Jr., Houston Police Department
- Steven Keith Fleming, Gainesville Police Department
- Darren H. Goforth, Harris County Sheriff’s Office
- David Stefan Hofer, Euless Police Department
- Thomas Luell Keen, Harris County Sheriff’s Office
- William Karl Keesee, Texas Department of Public Safety
- John Mathew Maki, Celeste Police Department
- Michael Joe Naylor, Midland County Sheriff’s Office
- Jeffrey Don Nichols, Texas Department of Public Safety
- David Ortiz, El Paso Police Department
- Michael Anthony Pimentel, Elmendorf Police Department
- Jeffrey Emmons Radford, Bell County Constable Precinct 3
- Mark Luis Scianna, Bexar County Constable Precinct 3
- Jesse Valdez, Harris County Sheriff’s Office
- Donald Ellis Wass, Washington County Sheriff’s Office
Emergency Medical First Responders Seriously Injured in the Line of Duty
- Howard Gene Holmes, 3n1 Volunteer Fire Department
Fire Fighters Seriously Injured in the Line of Duty
- Jeremiah Matthew Casares, Austin Fire Department
- Eddie Hykel, West Fire Department
- George W. Nors, West Fire Department
- David Alan Maler, West Fire Department
- Emmanuel Mitchell, West Fire Department
Peace Officers Seriously Injured in the Line of Duty
- Michael Paul Bali, Arlington Police Department
- Leticia Flores Brooks, Arlington Police Department
- Ryan Edward Burns, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Department
- Joseph Canales, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
- Jennifer Castaneda, Jacinto City Police Department
- Michael Jawad Chapman, Conroe Police Department
- Richard Gilmore Doane, Concho County Sheriff’s Office
- Michael Donato, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
- Charles Joseph Duhamel, Harlingen Police Department
- Ryan Lamar Durrett, Lubbock Police Department
- Jacob Quintana Flores, Lubbock Police Department
- Wilford Lloyd Garvin, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office
- Carlos Guillermo Henderson, The Colony Police Department
- Rodney Flores Hernandez, Texas Department of Public Safety
- John Hogan, Lake Jackson Police Department
- Brian Jackson, San Angelo Police Department
- Stephen Andrew Jones, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office
- Andrew Scott Jordan, Corpus Christi Police Department
- Timothy Ray Keele, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Chad Matlock, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Ann McSwain, Cedar Hill Police Department
- Zachary Reid Mills, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Vicente Pablo Moreno, Dallas Police Department
- Michael Nicholas Orndorff, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Matthew A. Pearce, Fort Worth Police Department
- Armando Perez, Austin Police Department
- James Pittman, Austin Police Department
- Steven Wayne Ruebelmann, Corpus Christi Police Department
- Jeremy Justin Talbert, Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4
- Michael Anthony Thomas, Texas Department of Public Safety
- Ricky D. Wallace,Texas Tech University Police Department
The Star of Texas Awards were created by the Texas Legislature in 2003 to honor men and women who have been seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.
– Newschannel 6
