Constable Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr.

Darrell Edward Lunsford, Sr.

Constable Darrell Lunsford was shot and killed while on a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 59 near Garrison around 1:28 a.m.

During the stop, after Constable Lunsford discovered the driver did not have a license and detecting marijuana odor, he found 32 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of the subject's vehicle. The three suspects then jumped Constable Lunsford, beating him and stabbing him with a knife before shooting him in the back of the neck, killing him with his own service weapon.

The entire incident was videotaped by the video camera in Constable Lunsford's patrol car. Because of the videotape, the three suspects were arrested, tried, and convicted of his murder. One of the men, who was a recently released parolee, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. His brother, also a parolee, was sentenced to 40 years. His scheduled release date is May 2026. The third man pleaded guilty and testified against the brothers; he was released from prison in 2018.

Constable Lunsford had served with the Nacogdoches County Constable's Office - Precinct 3 for eight years. Survivors include his wife and two children.

In May 2019, US 59 was renamed Constable Darrell Lunsford Memorial Highway, and the signs were placed the following November.