Deputy Honored 140 Years After Line-Of-Duty Death In Round Rock

ROUND ROCK, TX — Officials on Thursday honored a Williamson County sheriff’s deputy who was killed in the line of duty with a ribbon-cutting for a training facility bearing his name.

The new Deputy A.W. Grimes Law Enforcement Training Center, located on Chandler Boulevard north of Hutto, is named after Deputy Sheriff Ahijah W. Grimes (July 5, 1850-July 19, 1878), a former Texas Ranger and Williamson County sheriff’s deputy who died just two weeks after his 28th birthday.

The ceremony occurred on the same date when Grimes was killed in the line of duty in 1878 in Round Rock by an unidentified outlaw. The late deputy's great grandson Charles Grimes and Charles’ wife Angie attended the ceremony in his honor. Sheriff Robert Chody presented the pair with a framed photo of the building and a Sheriff’s Office coin.

“We are using today not as a day of mourning, but of honoring his memory," Chody said. "His sacrifice and service to his community will not be forgotten. We hope more lives will be saved because of the training done in this building.”

The 25,000-square-foot facility was designed by Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects, and American Constructors was the construction manager-at-risk. The $9.9 million building was completed on time in a matter of 14 months. All rooms in the new training center are named after former Williamson County law enforcement officers who died while protecting and serving their community, officials noted.

Special features of the facility include:

• Three classrooms for officer training.
• Defensive tactics room.
• Officer fitness room fully equipped with weight lifting and work out equipment.
• Audio/Visual in classrooms for enhanced learning.
• Fully furnished offices and common rooms.
• Break room available with kitchenette facilities.
• Overflow parking provided on west side of building.
• Energy efficient lighting systems.

The deputy also has a key artery named after him, the A.W. Grimes Boulevard. Ironically, his killer, Sam Bass, also is commemorated with a road sign that's among the most recognizable streets. Chody has expressed wishes to change the name of that road, but acknowledges the degree of difficulty that would entail given the abundance of businesses that would have to change their marketing materials as a result.

The mystery of Grimes' death lingers

It's unknown what led Grimes to challenge three members of the outlaw Sam Bass gang, according to the Williamson County Historical Commission website. Married with three children, Grimes was ultimately killed in the gunfight on a Friday afternoon in Round Rock, where it was illegal to carry guns (unlike today's "open carry" provision allowing for the open display of firearms among licensed owners).

Grimes may have spotted a pistol on one of the outlaws, and had begun to question them as they approached a general store, according to legend. But the mystery of why Grimes took on the outlaws endures given that barely two hours before his encounter with the miscreants, Grimes had been told the gang was poised to rob a bank and a contingent of Texas Rangers was on its way from San Saba, according to the site.

Stand down, Grimes reportedly was advised. Backup is on the way.

Some attribute Grimes' actions to sheer bravery and grit, personal attributes likely inherent in his DNA. His uncle, Alfred Grimes, had fought and died at the Alamo. His grandfather, Judge Jessie Grimes, had signed the Declaration of Independence of Texas.

Notwithstanding such questions as to why he took on the Sam Bass gang single-handedly, the enduring truth is Grimes died heroically. And now, Deputy A.W. Grimes Law Enforcement Training Center yields yet a tangible reminder of his unquestionable courage.

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>>> Photos via Williamson County Historical Commission