Constable Lewis Cooper

Lewis Cooper

Constable Lewis Cooper was shot and killed in retaliation following a domestic dispute in which a man murdered his own uncle in Pattison.

The man had threatened the uncle, who then went to find Constable Cooper to ask if he could borrow the constable's gun. When Constable Cooper refused to lend the man his weapon, the man wrenched it from his hands and then returned to confront his nephew. The nephew shot and killed the uncle in the ensuing shootout.

When the nephew learned that the gun belonged to Constable Cooper, he went to confront him and then fatally shot him. The man fled the area on a horse. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to five years in prison for Constable Cooper's murder. He escaped from prison in 1881 and remained at large for almost one year. He was shot and wounded during an arrest attempt in 1882. He was taken back into custody but escaped from jail a second time and was never recaptured.

Constable Cooper had served as the Waller County Precinct 2 constable for 2-1/2 years. He was survived by his wife and three children.