James Michael Carpenter was a 25-year-old Crowley, Texas police officer killed on February 13, 1979, while on duty. He had stopped a pickup reported stolen from Fort Worth and placed its two occupants into his cruiser after confirming the theft and that both were wanted. One suspect in the front seat lunged for Officer Carpenter’s gun; during a struggle the front-seat suspect gained control of the weapon with help from the other occupant. The suspects ordered Carpenter out of the cruiser; after he briefly re-entered to reach for the keys, he was shot in the chest and died from the wound.

Both suspects fled but were arrested several days later in Louisiana. The shooter, described as a 36-year-old male, was sentenced to death, later retried and sentenced to life; he received an additional three years for a 2003 prison assault and was denied parole on September 15, 2020. The other suspect, described as a 22-year-old male, was released on parole after several years. Carpenter had five years in law enforcement and was survived by his wife and stepdaughter.