Houston Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: Wednesday, June 27, 1990
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 17 years
Badge Number: 189
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: June 27, 1990
Weapon Used: Handgun; .357 caliber
Suspect Info: Executed in 2022
Officer James Irby was shot and killed when he stopped a car for a minor traffic violation near the intersection of Airline Drive and Lyerly Street.
As he was talking with the driver, the passenger exited the vehicle and shot Officer Irby five times with a .357 handgun.
The suspect was convicted of Officer Irby's murder and subsequently sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injestion on April 21, 2022. Now 78, he was Texas' oldest death row inmate.
Officer Irby had served 17 years with the Houston Police Department. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.