Harris County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Monday, October 26, 1981
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: 479
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: October 25, 1981
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Deputy Sheriff Royce Anderson succumbed to an inadvertent gunshot wound sustained the previous night while making a felony arrest at 9:45 pm.
He and his partner had responded to a truck stop on the North Freeway for a stabbing. After interviewing the victim they obtained a description of the suspect and his truck. The deputies located the vehicle and conducted a felony stop near in the 9400 block of the North Freeway. As Deputy Anderson re-holstered his weapon it discharged, striking him in the upper leg and severing all of his major arteries.
He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to the wound at 5:05 am the following morning.
Deputy Anderson had served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for two years. He was survived by his wife and two children.