Trooper David Irvine Rucker, Texas Department of Public Safety

Trooper David Irvine Rucker

Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, Texas

End of Watch Tuesday, September 29, 1981

David Irvine Rucker

Trooper David Rucker was shot and killed while making a traffic stop.

Shortly after he was murdered, Patrolman Enrique Carrisalez stopped the same man, not knowing he had just shot and killed Trooper Rucker, and was shot and killed himself as he exited his patrol car. A doctor found Trooper Rucker's body laid out in the traffic lane holding the identification of the man wanted in connection with both murders. Trooper Rucker had never radioed in the stop.

The suspect was eventually arrested and was executed in 1993. During a search of the suspect's home officers recovered the stolen duty weapon of Hidalgo County Constable Ricky Lewis, murdered in 1979. The suspect was never charged with Constable Lewis' murder, which remains unsolved.

Trooper Rucker had served with the Texas Highway Patrol for 14 years. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Bio

Age 37
Tour 14 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Gun; Unknown type
Offender Executed in 1993

traffic stop

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Most Recent Reflection

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David was my very best friend and we spent a lot of time together. He was such a good person, and I miss him ... David loved his home that he had built himself at Port Isabel. He loved his kids so much, he was always talking about and about his wife Teresa...I was a locomotive engineer at the tIme and David was always recruiting me to go to work for DPS...I did eventually get into law enforcement in 1984 and retired in 2009,

David, my friend, rest easy and know we think of you daily....

Chief of Police, retired Brady Parker
McAllen P.D. Combes Police Department

April 19, 2018