1991

April 12, 1991
Gunfire  – @ 8500 Katy Freeway 

DOB - 2/15/1958, Age 33
Badge – 2521
Class #112
Final Resting Place –    Oak Hill, Houston TX     

On April 12, 1991, Houston Police Sergeant Bruno Soboleski lost the fight for his life in the line of duty when he was shot by Mr. Shelton D. Jones. On that fateful day, Sergeant Soboleski was riding in his police vehicle with Ms. Linda Ligon, a grand juror, when he observed Mr. Jones and another man standing in the 6600 block of Calhoun. The officer suspected they were involved in drug activity and stopped to question and search them.

The suspects, Mr. Jones and Mr. Gregory Pickrom, appeared to be suspicious because they were at a known drug-dealing location. The time of the day also made the situation appear to be the scene of a drug deal. While Sgt. Soboleski was questioning the pair, he told the suspects to put their hands on the hood of his police car. As Sgt. Soboleski was searching Mr. Pickrom; Mr. Jones pulled a 9mm pistol and fired three to four shots at close range into his body. Soboleski never had a chance to draw his weapon in self-defense.

As two of the suspects fled the scene and after Ms. Ligon yelled to Sgt. Soboleski, a third, unknown suspect, Mr. Christopher Dwight Coleman, began firing his 9mm pistol at Sgt. Soboleski while crouched between several vehicles. It was undetermined if any of his shots actually struck Soboleski. Even though she had never operated the radio before, Ms. Ligon used it to call for help. When help arrived, Officer R.G. Nassif spoke to Sgt. Soboleski: "First I kept telling him to hang in there - it's going to be okay; help is coming; and he asked me where he was at." "He looked at me and said, 'Robin, I don't want to die. I know I'm gonna die,'"

More than 1,500 police and civilians answered a call for blood in an attempt to save his life. The blood drive resulted in collecting 1,330 units blood. This blood was needed to replace the blood lost from wounds to the chest, abdomen and groin. Sgt. Soboleski endured four operations and put a valiant fight for life before succumbing from multiple-organ failure. He passed away on April 12, 1990.

Shelton Jones was sentenced to death by injection for the shooting death of Soboleski. The decision by the jury took only two and a half hours. State District Judge Woody Densen in pronouncing the sentence stated, "With cold blood and a black heart, you have committed a dastardly deed on April 7, 1991, in gunning down one of Houston's finest police officers, Bruno Soboleski." He also said, "You gave Bruno Soboleski less compassion and mercy than a dog catcher would give a stray dog on the street."

On April 16, 1991, Sergeant Bruno D. Soboleski was laid to rest. In a eulogy, Police Chaplain Brad Ottosen Jr. recalled Sgt. Soboleski as a person "who chose to be a . . . person who keeps the peace in Houston." He also said, "When he put on his uniform, he was like a kid in a candy store."

Officer Norris K. Groves said of Sgt. Soboleski, "He was as good a fellow as you will ever want to meet - real easy going, a delightful type of guy, and the kind of person you enjoy being around."

Bruno D. Soboleski is survived by his wife, Darlene Sue; a step-daughter, Stephanie Sisk; daughter, Mallorie; mother, Mary Soboleski; brothers Joseph, Frank, and Leonard Soboleski; sister Mary Crowley.

Source – Houston Police Department Museum Files