Ramiro Martinez

Ramiro "Ray" Martinez (born 1937) was one of the two Austin Police Department officers (with Houston McCoy) credited with killing sniper Charles Whitman at the University of Texas at Austin on August 1, 1966.

Martinez was born in Kent County, Texas and attended Rotan High School in Rotan, Texas, graduating in 1956. He enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin, but dropped out after one semester due to financial difficulties. He later joined the United States Army and served three years as a combat medic. After his discharge from the Army, Martinez joined the Austin Police Department in 1960, graduating from the police academy in 1961.

Martinez was off duty on August 1, 1966 when the news of the Texas Tower sniper shooting aired on television. Martinez reported for duty and was told to assist with traffic control. Arriving on the scene, Martinez proceeded to the Tower, where later he and Officer McCoy shot sniper Charles Whitman dead. "TIME" reported on August 12, 1966 that Martinez had hit Whitman with all six of his pistol shots. The autopsy would later show that the shotgun, fired by McCoy, killed Whitman.cite news | url = http://time-proxy.yaga.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,842584,00.html | title = The Madman in the Tower | publisher = TIME | date = August 12, 1966 | accessdate = 2006-07-29]

In 1976, Ramiro Martinez sued the producers of the made-for-TV film "The Deadly Tower" for negative and racist depictions of him and his wife. He received an undisclosed out-of-court settlement.cite news | publisher=Austin-American Statesman | title=Lawman to get cash in settlement of Whitman film suit | date=16 March 1978 | author=Cox, Mike]

Martinez left the Austin Police Department around 1968 to briefly run a restaurant in downtown Austin. He later joined the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1969 as a narcotics agent. He served in that role for four years before joining the Texas Rangers. Martinez was part of the task force that eventually brought about the indictment of George Parr, the so-called "Duke of Duval County". After retiring from the Rangers in 1991, he worked as a private investigator and later served four years as a Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2, Comal County.

Martinez published his memoirs, "They Call Me Ranger Ray", in 2005. The book discusses his actions during the Tower incident and his experiences as a Texas Ranger.cite news | url=http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=DFDA771D-A237-4245-8E8F-90C13D715450 | title=Hero Talks About U.T. Shooting Spree | publisher=WOAI.com | accessdate=2006-06-26]

The City of Austin proclaimed August 1, 2006 "Ramiro Martinez Day".]
* [http://www.texasranger.org/dispatch/5/Martinez.htm "The Texas Ranger Dispatch": "Shining Star: Ramiro Martinez"]