Henderson County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Thursday, May 17, 2007
Age: 63
Tour of Duty: 43 years
Badge Number: 515
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 17, 2007
Weapon Used: Rifle
Suspect Info: Sentenced to death
Deputy Paul Habelt and Deputy Sheriff Tony Ogburn were shot and killed after responding to a domestic violence call.
Deputies Habelt, Ogburn, and Kevin Harris responded to a domestic disturbance call in Payne Springs. When they arrived, the suspect opened fire on them with a high-powered rifle. Deputies Habelt and Ogburn were killed, and Harris was wounded.
The suspect was shot and wounded by responding officers. The suspect was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.
Deputy Habelt had served in law enforcement for 43 years. He had previously served with the Oakland Police Department and South Lake Tahoe Police Department before moving to Texas, where he served with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department for 13 years. He was survived by his wife, six children, other relatives, and a host of friends and co-workers.
He was buried in the Goshen Cemetery in Henderson County.