Harrison County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, April 27, 2001
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 25 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: April 27, 2001
Weapon Used: Rifle; AK-47
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Lieutenant Claton Medrano was shot and killed while he and another officer were serving a mental commitment warrant at a house near Hallsville.
The officers went to the scene after receiving reports several days earlier that the man was waving guns in a threatening manner. Lieutenant Medrano was asked to serve the papers because he had dealt with the suspect on prior occasions. As the officers arrived, the suspect opened fire with a fully automatic AK-47, fatally wounding Lieutenant Medrano and wounding his partner. The suspect then drove to his parent's home and committed suicide.
Lieutenant Medrano had been employed with the Harrison County Sheriff's Department for 15 years and had been in law enforcement for 25 years.