1990

June 27, 1990
Gunfire  – @ 4600 Airline 

DOB - 5/25/1953, Age 37
Badge – 189
Class #57
Final Resting Place –    Forest Park Lawndale, Houston TX      

Motorcycle Officer James B. Irby was killed in the line of duty on June 27, 1990 at the intersection of Airline and Lyerly. He had been fatally wounded after being shot in the head by Carl Buntion, who was a passenger of the car Officer Irby had just stopped.

Officer Jim Irby was riding his motorcycle and observed a traffic violation at the intersection of Airline and Lyerly. He pulled the suspects' car over and walked up to the driver and began speaking to him. While Officer Irby was interviewing the driver, the passenger, Mr. Carl Buntion stepped out of the car and fired a shot from his .357 revolver into Irby's chest. Buntion then walked around the car and fired two more shots into the Officer Irby's head as he lay on the ground mortally wounded. The seemingly unprovoked attack on a Houston Police officer was witnessed by several bystanders who gave chase after Buntion and cornered him until other officers arrived. The officers were able to respond quickly because one of the witnesses, Elmore Breaux, ran to the radio on Irby's motorcycle to immediately call for help. Richard Castillo, another witness to the shooting, picked up Irby's gun and held the driver at bay until the reinforcements arrived.

Police Chief Elizabeth Watson praised the citizens by saying, "It is really helpful in times like these to know so many care deeply about the officers who work so hard every day under these adverse circumstances. Without the help of the citizens, we wouldn't have been successful in apprehending the suspect." Elmore Breaux said, "I feel like any citizen would have done the same thing. When there's not another officer around, if there's something they (citizens) can do to do their part, they need to do it."

There was no apparent motive at the time of the shooting but it was later learned that Carl Buntion had been in prison for a variety of offenses. He had spent over 17 years incarcerated until he was let out on an early release parole program in April of 1990. Further investigation revealed that Carl Buntion's brother, Kenneth, had been shot and killed in a gunfight with police. He had sustained over eight wounds during a shootout with police at an apartment complex in northwest Houston back in April of 1971. It was theorized that Buntion may have been seeking revenge for the killing of his twin brother.

At the time of the shooting, Carl Buntion was violating his parole. One of the violations was failing to show up at a Houston halfway house. The trial was moved to Fredericksburg in October and completed by January, 1991, when it took the jury only 34 minutes to find him guilty of capital murder of a police officer. Police Officer James B. "Jim" Irby was laid to rest on June 30, 1990. Before the funeral, a small motorcycle detail stood in the dismal rain, comforting each other with words and embraces. There were at least 4,000 citizens and uniformed police officers packed in the Second Baptist Church on Woodway to pay the last respects. Several of the officers commented to the local news media about their friend. Some quotes that ran in the newspapers were as follows: "Officer Jamerson Berry, one of Irby's fellow patrolmen, said "What I remember the most about Jim is him being a family man."

Officer Mike Cox said of Irby, "He is one of those officers who goes the extra mile. Part of us had been taken away." It really didn't matter to him whether it was another officer or a citizen or what color their skin was or if they were young or old. If he saw someone in need, he was going to help them."

Officer Irby was buried with several mementos of his life. They included a cowboy hat, red bandanna, a Wyoming state emblem pen, and a membership pen from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. His police motorcycle was parked by the casket at the funeral home.

A family friend, Debbie Schlizkus, said that Irby liked to wear a red bandanna around his neck. She said he was given an emblem pen from the Governor of Wyoming. According to Schlizkus, the Irby's enjoyed the mountains in Wyoming.

Additionally, Jim Irby was on the Calf Scramble Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The pen he was buried with had belonged to Ms. Debbie Schlizkus'.
Officer James B. Irby was survived by his wife, Maura; children, Cody James, 3, and Cally Ayn, 1; father, V.V. Irby; brother, Kelly Irby; and grandmother, Thelma Irby. His duty motorcycle was donated by the family and is permanently displayed at the police museum.

Source – Houston Police Department Museum Files