Another Valor Friday

Sgt Mark Butler, Navasota, TX Police Dept

We have an EOW notice of an Army veteran police officer. Sergeant Mark Butler of the Navasota, Texas Police Department was killed in the line of duty stopping a fleeing felon. His watch ended on Wednesday shortly after 1500 hours.

The incident started in nearby College Station (with Navasota lying about halfway between College Station and Houston) when a woman tried to cash a fraudulent check. When cops tried to talk to her she sped off. College Station Police discontinued the pursuit when she started to drive at more than 100MPH. Texas DPS troopers said “Fuck that” and kept chasing. At some point, while on SH-6, she exited, but re-entered the highway going the wrong direction.

News sources merely note that she “collided” with the sergeant’s marked patrol car. I raise this to a VF post, because Sergeant Butler was travelling head-on with the suspect driver, and with several civilian vehicles just a few car lengths behind him, he intentionally collided with the suspect’s vehicle.

While Sgt Butler stopped the threat (no bystanders were injured), he did not survive. His friend and partner, who sent me the sad news, said that Butler had been in the Army. He was an MP (probably in the reserves or guard) during college, and was an intelligence officer (highest rank held is believed to be captain) after that. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

Category: Army, Police, Valor, Veterans in the news