Hundreds Gather to Honor Fallen Texas DPS Trooper Kevin Ramirez Vasquez in Hockley

On October 3, 2024, hundreds gathered at Community of Faith Church in Hockley to honor Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper Kevin Alexis Ramirez Vasquez, who was tragically killed in the line of duty in September.

Trooper Ramirez Vasquez’s parents and three siblings were surrounded by family, friends, and law enforcement colleagues as they said their final goodbyes. Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Public Safety Commission Chairman Steven Mach, and Commissioners Dan Hord III and Larry Long attended the service, alongside DPS Director Steven McCraw, Senior Deputy Director Freeman Martin, and other DPS leaders from across the state.

“Throughout his young life, Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Kevin Alexis Ramirez Vasquez served his state and his country with incredible honor and dignity,” DPS Director McCraw said during the service. “Every day we will now work to ensure his memory lives on.”

Trooper Ramirez Vasquez, 25, was investigating a traffic crash in Ector County on September 17 when he was struck by a vehicle and severely injured. He was transported to Medical Center Hospital in Odessa and later airlifted to a hospital in Lubbock, where he passed away on September 28.

Trooper Ramirez Vasquez joined DPS in 2023 as part of Recruit Class A-2023 and was stationed in Odessa. He previously served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard.

He is the 241st DPS officer to die in the line of duty since 1823. A private burial with full military honors will be held on October 4 at Houston National Cemetery.