R.I.P., Constable Brian Bachmann, Killed In Line of Duty

Brian Bachmann (Photo: Facebook)

August 13, 2012 - College Station, TX - One of the three shooting victims to die just blocks from the Texas A&M campus was Constable Brian Bachmann, 41. Bachmann (photo) was a member of the Brazos County Sheriff's Department for 19 years. He was the Constable for Precinct 1, which included his home town of College Station. He was a Republican.

According to WBRC/Fox, Bachmann was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital "shortly after he was shot." He apparently died in the line of duty.

Bachmann was reportedly shot five times. According to the Facebook page of the City of College Station, "The two CSPD officers taken to local hospitals are said to have non-life threatening injuries." That update was posted at approximately 3:45 p.m. CDT.

A subsequent update at 5:00 p.m. CDT said that "three CSPD officers were injured, but only one by gunfire. That officer was shot in the leg and is being treated for the non-life threatening injury. A second officer was transported, but for injuries *unrelated* to gunfire. A third officer also was injured (again, not from gunfire) during the response, but did not require transport to a hospital."

A 5:30 p.m. news release from the City of College Station said this: "On Aug. 13 at approximately 12:12 p.m. officers with the College Station Police Department responded to the 200 block of Fidelity for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers found a Brazos County Constable [Brian Bachmann] down in front of a residence on Fidelity. The suspect in this case, engaged the officers with gunfire over a period of approximately 30 minutes before he was shot by a College Station Officer." Full news release here...

Police "were unsure why the constable responded to the call, although witnesses told KBTX the constable had arrived to evict the shooter," said WBRC/Fox.

Brazos County Constable District 1

According to the Brazos County Constable's Office, a primary duty of a constable is to "insure that all civil process is served in a diligent manner." That includes serving an eviction notice, as Bachmann was apparently attempting to do.

"When police arrived on the scene, Bachmann was already down in the suspect's yard," reports WBRC/Fox. According to their report, law enforcement officers "responded to a call of shots fired and were met with gunfire on the scene, then called for backup.

A CSPD spokesman said that the officer fatally shot the gunman, who is described as male.

Constables in Brazos County, TX "are elected by the registered voters in their own precinct." The Constables Department, says the Brazos County website, "is part of the  is the chief process server of the justice court; provides state-wide jurisdiction to execute any criminal processes; and provides county-wide jurisdiction to execute any civil processes."

There are four constabulary precincts in Brazos County. "Constables are the only Law Enforcement mandated by the Texas Constitution which makes them truly indeed 'The People’s Police Officer'." For more about the constables of Brazos County, see their website.

Brian Bachmann became a Certified Peace Officer in 1992 and held an Advanced Peace Officer Certificate. He became a Brazos County Sheriff's Deputy in 1993.

Bachmann won his election to become Precinct 1's Constable on November 2, 2010. The following day, he posted this on his "Elect Brian Bachmann for Constable Precinct 1 Brazos County" page on Facebook:

Bachmann (right) is sworn in, January 1, 2011 (Facebook)

"We did it!!! We did it!!! Thank you to everyone for their support and encouragement!! I could not have accomplished this without everyone!! I hope to see everyone soon at the Victory Party!! "

He was sworn in on January 1, 2011 and posted this to his Facebook page:

"Well it's official. I was sworn in as Constable of Precinct One in Brazos County this morning. I want to thank everyone that helped with the campaign, you are the best!! Now it's time to get to work and start building the most professional Constables Office. My door will always be open to everyone, and I expect visitors!! Thank you again to everyone for all the encouragement and support! Brian"

Brian Bachmann was a man dedicated to helping others and improving the safety of his community. As with any peace officer who dies in the line of duty, it was the job that he loved so much that ultimately got him killed. May Constable Brian Bachmann rest in peace, and may God watch over his wife and two young children.