AUSTIN -- First responders who gave their lives to help their fellow Texans received a special honor Wednesday. The Star of Texas Award remembers sacrifices made by men and women here in the Lone Star State.
The ceremony became an annual tradition in 2004. At the ceremony, Gov. Rick Perry presented the award to families of first responders killed or badly injured in the line of duty.
Three area officers received the honor in Austin this year, including: Officer Robert 'Bobby' Deckard with the San Antonio Police Department, Deputy Candice Rodriguez with the Bexar County Sheriff's Office and Ofc. Marc Kelley with the Trinity University Police Department.
Ofc. Deckard was shot in the head last year on Dec. 8 2013 while chasing two convenience store robbery suspects. He died Dec. 20.
Deputy Rodriguez was an eight-year veteran with BCSO the day her life changed on her way to work, Dec. 15, 2013. After witnessing an accident on the city's northeast side, the deputy exited her vehicle to help an injured motorist from the wreckage. Moments after getting back into her car to call police, Rodriguez's vehicle was slammed from behind by a heavy-duty Ford Excursion. The impact of the collision was so powerful, it broke both of the Acura's front seats and pinned Rodriguez in the back seat.
Deputy Rodriguez suffered a spinal fracture, a spiral fracture in one of her legs and tore three of the four ligaments in her left knee.
"For a decade now, we set aside time every year to honor some of our state's best and bravest," Gov. Perry said. "These individuals placed their lives on the line to fight back raging fires, rush badly-injured Texans to the hospital for life-saving care, or take the most dangerous felons off the streets. They're heroes because they understand the risks involved in their jobs, and they know there's nothing routine about any fire or any traffic stop."
More than 430 people have been honored at the event in the last decade. Last year's recipients included the Kaufman County district attorney, who was murdered, first responders to the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, Houston firefighters who died battling a five-alarm hotel fire and several Austin police officers who were injured protecting the community.
Sixty-eight families accepted awards last year. This year's award recipients were as follows:
EMERGENCY MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Raymond Allison, Sterling County EMS
FIRE FIGHTERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
William Tanksley, Dallas Fire-Rescue
PEACE OFFICERS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Clay Crabb, Austin Police Department
Adam Davis, Bell County Sheriff's Department
Jason Norling, Harris County Constable's Office
Charles Dinwiddie, Killeen Police Department
Robert Hornsby, Killeen Police Department
**Robert Deckard, San Antonio Police Department
**Marc Kelley, Trinity University Police Department
Billy Kennedy, Upton County Sheriff's Office
FIRE FIGHTERS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Rafael Navarrette, El Paso Fire Department
Robert "Robby" Payne, West Fire Department
Barney "Joe" Yeakley, Lindale Fire Department
PEACE OFFICERS SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
Charles Lodatto, Arlington Police Department
**Candice Rodriguez, Bexar County Sheriff's Office
James Kelemen, Conroe Police Department
Amador Gonzalez, Corpus Christi Police Department
Michael Goodman, Corpus Christi Police Department
Joshua Burns, Dallas Police Department
Josh Godi, Denton County Sherriff's Office
Richard Lambing, Fort Worth Police Department
Bradley Durst, Fredericksburg Police Department
Juan Obregon, Killeen Police Department
Odis Denton, Killeen Police Department
John Spillman, McLennan County Sheriff's Office
Ann Carrizales, Stafford Police Department
Leslie Claunch, Stafford Police Department
James Bennett, Temple Police Department
Allen Lanier, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Roberto Charles, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Larry Vaughan, Texas Department of Public Safety
Christian Vicuna, Texas Department of Public Safety
