The suspect in the shooting of Texas Trooper Sammy Charles Long was an unnamed man who was AWOL from the U.S. Navy and driving a stolen vehicle; he was shot and killed by a civilian bystander shortly after killing Long.

What happened to Trooper Sammy Long

On November 21, 1976 , Patrolman (Trooper) Sammy Charles Long of the Texas Department of Public Safety made a traffic stop on US 67, about five miles east of Rankin, Texas.

Long had pursued a truck that was speeding over 100 mph and pulled it over. As he approached the vehicle, the suspect, who was AWOL from the Navy and driving a stolen car, opened fire with a .32 caliber handgun , knocking Long to the ground.

The suspect then took Long’s service weapon and shot him in the back six times while he lay on the ground.

Who killed the suspect

A civilian who was an avid deer hunter, returning from a hunting trip, was stopped at a rest stop about 150 yards from the traffic stop and witnessed the shooting.

That man immediately retrieved his hunting rifle , fired at the suspect from about 150 yards, and killed him.

The suspect was therefore not identified by name in the main official summaries; the record emphasizes that he was:

  • AWOL from the U.S. Navy
  • Driving a stolen vehicle
  • Armed with a .32 caliber handgun
  • Killed by a civilian, not by police.

Memorial and recognition

Trooper Sammy Charles Long is memorialized on the Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Memorial and has a memorial highway designation in his name. He began his career with the Texas DPS on December 3, 1958 , and died in the line of duty on November 21, 1976.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.