Detective Norman Michael Montion, 42, was killed on October 16, 1989, while on his lunch break at a local business in El Paso. A 17-year veteran of the El Paso Police Department, Montion was shot during a violent attack by a former employee, Richard Stratton, who had earlier murdered his wife before arriving at the business.

During the assault another employee who tried to intervene was also killed. Montion, though mortally wounded, returned fire and fatally wounded Stratton. The building where the shooting occurred stood vacant for years afterward and the event had a lasting effect on the El Paso community and the police department.

Montion was survived by his wife, a son and two daughters; his son later joined the El Paso Police Department. No further arrests or suspects were reported after the incident.