David Huerta (police officer)

David Huerta (April 11, 1946 – September 19, 1973) was a Houston Police officer whose line-of-duty death was the result of a domestic violence that has caused the deaths of law enforcement officers over the history of law enforcement. Huerta was a native Houstonian and a United States Army veteran serving in Vietnam. He entered HPD by the way of academy class #40 on January 13, 1969 and graduated from the academy on May 3, 1969. He was assigned to the Traffic Enforcement Division and was transferred to Narcotics Division and returned to Traffic Enforcement in May 1973. His career with HPD was cut short on Wednesday, September 19, 1973, when he was murdered by a distraught husband, Roland Brandt, 21, who was arrested for a restraining order violation. Brandt was allowed by Officer Huerta to take his belongings with him while Huerta made a phone call to the police station about the incident. During the phone call, Brandt pulled out his shotgun and shot Huerta in the head and also shot and killed his wife, Terry Brandt, 20, before turning the gun on himself. Huerta was 27 years old when he was murdered.

Early life
David Huerta was born on April 11, 1946 in Houston, Texas to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Genaro Huerta. He was raised in the Near Northside community of Houston. He attended Looscan Elementary School, Jeff Davis High School, and South Texas Junior College for a year prior to enlisting in the United States Army. Huerta served in Vietnam and finished his tour of duty in two years and joined the Houston Police Department by academy class #40 on January 13, 1969. He graduated from the academy on May 3, 1969 and was assigned to the Traffic Enforcement Division in 1970 before being transferred to Narcotics Division, until May 1973, which he was returned to Traffic Enforcement.

Line of Duty death
On Wednesday morning of September 19, 1973, Terry Brandt, 20 a wife of Roland Brandt, 21 was in the process of going through a divorce in a courthouse. The divorce was set to be finalized in five months following the date of September 19, 1973 but in the meantime a restraining order was granted.