Slain Texas police Detective Jerry Walker was a trained marksman who understood the human side of policing.
Before he joined the Little Elm Police Department’s SWAT team he was a resource officer at Little Elm High School. In the wake of his death, members of the community shared fond memories on social media of the father of four.
He was known to care about the people he served. He befriended children who didn’t have friends. Even someone who received a speeding ticket from him acknowledged he was a “nice man.”
He knew what his job was but he was also a “people person” who “could get down to any level,” police Chief Rodney Harrison said Wednesday.
Walker, 48, died Tuesday night after he was shot during a standoff at home in Little Elm. The unidentified suspect was found dead in the home hours later, Harrison said.
Walker was among the officers who responded to a 911 call of an armed man in a backyard. The man ran into the home as officers tried to speak with him, Harrison said. He opened fire from inside the home, striking Walker as the officer monitored the situation from an observation point, rifle at the ready.
The gun was likely a semi-automatic judging from the rapid succession of gunfire, he said.
Walker was transported by helicopter to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries, Harrison said.
During the standoff police discovered an elderly woman inside the home, Harrison said. While rescuing her police sent a robot into the home and discovered the suspect’s body.
As of noon Wednesday, the county medical examiner was inside the home working to identify the suspect and cause of death, Harrison said.
Dozens of officers and emergency responders lined up to salute the fallen detective outside the hospital as his body left the facility,”Amazing Grace” wailing on bagpipes.
Walker leaves behind a wife and four children, the youngest just a few months old, the oldest 22 years old.
“We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure everyone knows what Jerry Walker did for this community,” Harrison said.
