Southern Methodist University Police Department, Texas
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 5 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Drowned
Date of Incident: July 5, 2016
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Police Officer Mark McCullers drowned when his vehicle was washed away in torrential flooding while he was working an off duty assignment at a construction site in Highland Park at approximately 1:30 am.
The construction site was at the intersection of St. John's Street and North Fitzugh Avenue, near the banks of Turtle Creek. A severe thunderstorm had caused the water level in Turtle Creek to suddenly rise and rush down the adjacent roadway. Officer McCuller radioed for assistance when the wall of water struck his car and began to wash it away.
He attempted to exit the vehicle and reach safety, but he was also caught in the flood waters and is presumed drowned. On August 24th, 2016, other members of the SMU Police Department located Officer McCullers' body along the banks of the Trinity River three miles from where his vehicle was swept away.
Officer McCullers was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the Southern Methodist University Police Department for 17 months. He is survived by his wife and six children.