Trooper Randall Wade Vetter was 28 when he was shot during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 35 south of Kyle, Texas, on August 3, 2000. He had stopped a 72-year-old driver, Melvin Hale, for not wearing a seatbelt. The suspect exited his vehicle and opened fire with a high-powered rifle, striking Trooper Vetter once in the head. Vetter returned fire but did not hit the shooter.

Hale used Vetter’s patrol car radio to announce the shooting and request medical assistance; after a brief standoff he was taken into custody. Trooper Vetter was rushed to hospital and died of his wounds on August 7, 2000. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia, and their eight-month-old son, Robert. The shooting prompted changes in Texas law enforcement, including creation of a Threats Against Peace Officers database and the development of COPsync, a real-time information-sharing network used by many Texas agencies.

Anyone who knew Trooper Vetter or has information about threats against officers is asked to share what they know.