Sheriff Bobby R. Grubbs released the following statement regarding the death of former Brown County Sheriff’s Deputy, Billy Kennedy Thursday afternoon:
It is with great sadness we have learned of the line of duty death of Upton County Deputy Billy “Bubba” Kennedy. Wednesday night at about 11:15 pm, Deputy Kennedy, 38, was shot and killed during an incident at a Stripes Convenience Store in McCamey, which is about 50 miles south of Odessa on Highway 385. Deputy Kennedy had responded to an incident at the convenience store in McCamey where Kennedy encountered a male subject and multiple shots were fired. The suspect is in custody and under medical care for gunshot wounds. The identity of the suspect in the shooting has not yet been released by the Upton County Sheriff’s Office. Texas Rangers are handling the crime scene and subsequent investigation.
Deputy Kennedy was with the Brown County Sheriff’s Office from March 6, 2006 to December 31, 2009, both as a commissioned full time deputy and as a reserve officer. He was a conscientious and hard-working deputy who was very well liked by coworkers. He loved his work and his family. In addition to his patrol duties he also was a canine officer who loved his dog and working with animals. As a Brown County Deputy, he had a passion to make a difference, to make people safe from criminal activity. He was one of those employees who stood out because he loved his work and was good with people. We are staggered from this. Our employees and officers who worked with Billy are shocked and saddened. This is example of what law enforcement may face at any random moment. Billy’s death is a hard reminder of the reality of our work, the routine encounter of very dangerous situations. We train and retrain our officers on tactical and safety practices, yet there is always an ominous and often large risk that officers routinely face. In today’s world, it takes courage to be a good law enforcement officer. Billy demonstrated this clearly last night, making the ultimate sacrifice for the public he served. He will be sorely missed.Sheriff Grubbs and Upton County Sheriff Danny Brown have known each other since the mid 1980’s. Earlier today, Sheriff Grubbs called Sheriff Brown and expressed his express his support and condolences on behalf of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office.
Billy Kennedy was a dedicated family man who leaves behind a wife and two sons, 15 and 11 years old. Our condolences are most especially with Billy Kennedy’s wife and two sons.
Photo courtesy BigCountryHomePage.com.
