Christine McClendon

Christine McClendon was a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who had called Lufkin, Texas, her home for more than 55 years. The 78-year-old Black woman was remembered by her family as a pillar of strength and a woman of deep faith. She raised nine children and was cherished by her many friends, who filled the Long Chapel CME Church to celebrate her life after her sudden and tragic death. Her daughter Shelley Cox recalled, "Everybody loved my mother," and said her mother's message to everyone would have been "to stay well and free and always keep faith in the Lord." Another daughter, Oranell Williams, described her mother as the family's source of strength.

The quiet life of the community on Garvan Street was shattered on the evening of Friday, August 13, 2010. Around 5:56 p.m., neighbors called 911 to report that a man had shot his wife and was sitting on the front porch with a shotgun. Family members said Christine was gardening in her front yard when she was attacked. The man was her estranged husband, 86-year-old Maurell McClendon. Though separated and legally still married, the couple lived in adjacent houses. Christine had purchased the house next door after Maurell had "one day up and left" the family home years earlier, where he had recently moved back in.

Lufkin Police Department officers arrived at 207 Garvan Street within two minutes of the first call. They found Maurell McClendon on the front porch, armed with a shotgun, while Christine lay wounded on the ground. According to witnesses and the subsequent investigation, officers repeatedly commanded him to "drop the gun." Instead of complying, Maurell moved toward his wife. As officers approached, he fired another shot at Christine as she lay on the ground. The two responding officers, Ray Hightower and Randy Stallard, then fired their weapons, striking Maurell.

Both Christine and Maurell McClendon were transported to Memorial Health System of East Texas. Christine was pronounced dead at 7:10 p.m. from a gunshot wound to the chest. Due to the large crowd of onlookers and family that gathered at the hospital, it was temporarily placed on lockdown. Maurell, who was in critical condition with at least two gunshot wounds, was later airlifted to ETMC Hospital in Tyler. He died there from his injuries two days later, on the night of Sunday, August 15, 2010.

The Texas Rangers, specifically Ranger Pete Maskunas, were called in to lead the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, while the Lufkin Police Department conducted its own separate internal investigation. The two officers, veteran members of the force with a combined 25 years of service, were placed on paid leave pending the outcome. The investigation relied on witness statements and ballistics evidence to piece together the sequence of events.

In late August 2010, an Angelina County grand jury reviewed the findings of the Texas Rangers' investigation. The district attorney announced that the grand jury had cleared Officers Hightower and Stallard of any wrongdoing, issuing a no-bill and concluding that the shooting was justified and necessary. The investigation confirmed that Maurell McClendon had fired at his wife after receiving repeated commands to drop his weapon, prompting the officers to fire. The district attorney stated, "It's really pretty clear by the facts that the suspect fired a shot at the victim... I just regret that the situation occurred, but if the same situation arose again, I'd tell them to do the same thing." The officers returned to work 12 days after the incident.

Family and friends gathered one week after the shooting to lay Christine McClendon to rest in Davis Memorial Garden. The funeral provided a sense of closure for a family grappling with the loss of both parents in such a violent manner. "We kept our mother in mind because the first thing she would've told us is 'I don't want you to suffer,'" her daughter Shelley Cox shared. The tragedy left her loved ones shocked and searching for answers. "Nobody ever, in a million years would have ever thought this," said her daughter Oranell.

The case is considered closed, as the primary suspect, Maurell McClendon, died from injuries sustained during his confrontation with police. Christine McClendon's death was one of 142 intimate partner homicides in Texas in 2010, a statistic highlighted by the Texas Council on Family Violence to raise awareness about the prevalence of domestic violence.