Officer Kenneth Copeland, 58, was shot and killed on December 4, 2017, while serving an arrest warrant at the residence of Stewart Thomas Mettz in San Marcos, Texas. Copeland, in uniform, knocked on Mettz’s door and was shot multiple times when the door opened. Investigators say Mettz had been involved in an assault causing bodily injury to a family member and injury to an elderly person prior to the fatal encounter.

Copeland was an active reservist with the United States Coast Guard Reserve and remembered by colleagues and the San Marcos community for his dedication, friendly demeanor and for often offering Topo Chico mineral water to people he met. More than six years after the shooting, on January 11, 2024, Mettz was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Anyone with memories of Officer Copeland or information about his service and life is invited to share what they knew.