Texas Department of Public Safety Sergeant William Karl Keesee, of Brownwood, who lost his life in the line of duty on Oct. 29, 2015 as a result of a traffic crash, was honored in Austin as a Star of Texas Award Recipient. Keesee was one of 20 peace officers who were killed in the line of duty and 37 other first responders who were seriously injured in the line of duty that were honored by Governor Greg Abbott on Monday, September 12th.
Governor 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. 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.
“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
