Section of SH 71 named for fallen DPS trooper

A DPS trooper who was shot and killed in the line of duty was honored with a dedication ceremony 33 years after his death.

AUSTIN, Texas - A DPS trooper who was shot and killed in the line of duty was honored with a dedication ceremony 33 years after his death.

Trooper Carlos Ray Warren was killed while interrupting an attempted kidnapping at a rest area off State Highway 71 on March 5, 1991.

"You got a guy that served all his life. That's all he knew. He served in the Army, served DPS and everywhere in between," said Lt. Colonel Walt Goodson, deputy director of Texas DPS. "We lost a son, a father, a brother, a fiancé, a friend, a partner to all of us that wear the uniform."

A section of State Highway 71 will be dedicated to Trooper Warren and a memorial sign was unveiled on Friday, March 22.

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"When I think about the events that happened on March 5, 1991, he gave his life," said William Urbanczyk, assistant chief of the Texas Highway Patrol. "We say that routinely, but he really gave his life for somebody he didn't even know. He had absolutely no knowledge other than something was wrong, and he needed to step in and save somebody else."

A new Tactical Marine Unit boat will also now carry Trooper Warren's name. It will be used to patrol state waterways and potentially be used in search and rescue missions.

"We want to make sure that his memory lives on. He's still family. His family is still family for the department," said TJ Wood, captain of the Tactical Marine Unit. "And we want to make sure that they know that they're taken care of and that we remember the sacrifice their loved one made."

Patrol Vessel Carlos R Warren is one of close to 20 DPS boats that have been dedicated to fallen highway patrolmen.

"They put on the badge, they put on the gun," said Goodson. " And they do that knowing that their job is dangerous, but they do it anyway because of their devotion to duty."

Back in 1991, before the attempted kidnapping, a man named Richard Metcalf was stopped by Trooper Warren for speeding. It was several weeks later that Trooper Warren was shot and killed.

According to DPS, Mr. Metcalf was so impressed with the way the traffic stop was handled that he was inspired to honor Trooper Warren, and other fallen DPS troopers, with memorials at the locations where they died, something his brother, Don, carried on when Richard passed away.