Loved ones, colleagues say final goodbye to fallen HPD officer William 'Bill' Jeffrey

Charly Edsitty Image
Monday, September 27, 2021
Police honors rendered for fallen HPD Sr. Ofc. William Jeffrey
A somber conclusion to a memorial for a fallen Houston hero: See video of the full police honors rendered for HPD Senior Officer William Jeffrey.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Family members and brothers in blue said a final goodbye to Houston Police Senior Officer William "Bill" Jeffrey.



During a memorial service Monday at Grace Church, city dignitaries including HPD Chief Troy Finner and Mayor Sylvester Turner reflected on Jeffrey's duty to Houston and to his family, remembering him as a larger than life figure.



Full police honors were rendered after the service concluded.



WATCH: SkyEye follows procession for William Jeffrey before his memorial service


WATCH: Police escorted Jeffrey's body from Klein Funeral Home in Tomball to Grace Church in southeast Houston ahead of the funeral, which is set to start at 10 a.m.


Ahead of the services, police advised that traffic along several major thoroughfares throughout the city would be impacted. Jeffrey's casket is being escorted from Grace Church in southeast Houston to the Tomball area for his burial.



For those following the escort from Grace, the following route is advised:


  • START: Grace Church Houston
  • Northbound on Gulf Freeway (S. Interstate Highway 45)
  • Motorcade splits at the Houston Avenue Exit, with a small private contingent continuing the escort to Tomball




It was one week ago today, on Sept. 20, that Jeffrey was shot and killed in the line of duty while executing a narcotics arrest warrant on Houston's northeast side. He was just 54 years old and had served for nearly 31 years with the department.



ORIGINAL STORY: Houston police officers shot: 1 officer killed, 1 injured while executing warrant in NE Harris Co.



His partner, Sgt. Michael Vance, was also shot and injured. He remains in the hospital, recovering from his injuries.



HPD Senior Officer William "Bill" Jeffrey will receive full police honors this morning as officers gather together to pay their final respects.


The suspect in the deadly shooting, 30-year-old Deon Ledet, was shot and killed in the shoot out.



It was revealed he had a very lengthy criminal record. The officers were executing an arrest warrant for charges tied to Ledet's alleged possession of cocaine. The warrants were issued back in January, and he had not shown up to court.



SEE ALSO: Officer Jeffrey and the recent Houston-area law enforcement officers who've died


In this video from May 2021, Chief Troy Finner, who was newly named to the top Houston Police Department role at the time, reflected on the on-duty deaths throughout HPD's history.


Jeffrey joined the Houston Police Department in December 1990. He was assigned to the department's Major Offenders Division, which is a unit that routinely deals with dangerous criminals, including accused murderers.



Officer Jeffrey is the 120th HPD officer death since 1860. He leaves behind a wife, who is a recently-retired HPD officer, and a daughter.



"I've know him my entire career... and just as his wife said, 'What a great man. What a great officer,'" Finner said last week.



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RELATED: Who is Deon Ledet? Man accused of killing HPD Officer William 'Bill' Jeffrey


Records show the man accused of HPD officer William "Bill" Jeffrey's death is no stranger to police and has a history of arrests dating back to 2008.
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