Dallas Police Honor Fallen Officers at Memorial Ceremony
DALLAS—The Dallas Police Department commemorated the lives of two officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, adding their names to the city’s Police Memorial. Officer Darron Burks and Officer Gabriel Bixby are the 94th and 95th officers to be honored since the memorial’s inception.
Rookie Officer Darron Burks was tragically shot while sitting in his patrol car in Oak Cliff on August 29, 2024. Suspect Corey Cobb-Bey approached Burks’ vehicle, recorded the incident, and then fatally shot the officer. In the ensuing chaos, Cobb-Bey also injured two other responding officers before being shot dead by law enforcement.
Officer Gabriel Bixby died in a motorcycle crash on January 7, 2025, while en route to work. The 29-year-old collided with a vehicle that turned in front of him on State Highway 276 in Hunt County. Bixby had dedicated nearly seven years to the Dallas Police Department and is survived by a wife and children.
At the Memorial service, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson remarked, “Officer Burks embodied the best of what Dallas has to offer” and praised Officer Bixby for his service and commitment to family. The memorial provided a meaningful space for family members, including Burks’ mother, Sherie Jeffery, who expressed pride in her son’s dedication to public service after leaving a teaching career to join the police force.
Frances Lawrence, whose husband was killed in 1993, emphasized the importance of such memorials, remarking, “As long as I live here, that’s what I will do.” The Dallas Police Department hopes that next year’s memorial will see no new names added, honoring their ongoing commitment to safeguarding the community.
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