Travis County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, November 5, 1982
Age:
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 18, 1981
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 99 years
Deputy Charles Lacey was shot in the throat by a man he discovered sexually assaulting a woman in a car on February 18, 1981.
The man had murdered two other people earlier in the day before abducting the woman. He had pulled over on the side of the road and was attempting to assault her when Deputy Lacey pulled up behind them. The man immediately drove away but was stopped by Deputy Lacey approximately one mile away.
When Deputy Lacey contacted the driver, he was immediately shot. The wound paralyzed him from the neck down, and he died on November 5, 1982, from complications of the wound.
The woman the suspect was assaulting was able to escape when the man stopped for gas later in the day. The subject was convicted of attempted capital murder and sentenced to 99 years in prison.
Deputy Lacey was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War. He had served with Travis County Sheriff's Office for four years and had previously served with the Austin Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife.