Texarkana Police Department, Arkansas
End of Watch: Thursday, February 3, 1977
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: 112
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 3, 1977
Weapon Used: Rifle; .30-.30
Suspect Info: Died in prison
Lieutenant Worrell was shot and killed when he and another officer arrived on the scene of a burglary in progress at a store on North Stateline Avenue. As the officers exited their vehicle they were ambushed by a juvenile suspect with a rifle who was standing watch in the parking lot while his two accomplices, also juveniles, robbed the store. Both officers were struck by gunfire and Lieutenant Worrell was fatally wounded. All three suspects were apprehended.
The 15-year-old shooter was sentenced to life in prison. His two accomplices were sentenced to 20 years each and were paroled to other states in 1986. The shooter has been denied parole four times since the murder. On January 30, 2019, the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered a new trial because he was a juvenile at the time of the shooting. He died in prison on February 9, 2019.
Lieutenant Worrell served six years in law enforcement and was survived by his expectant wife and two sons. His daughter was born the following September.