Motorcycle riders and a memorial trailer pulled into the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Training Academy parking lot on Thursday to pay tribute to our fallen peace officers who lost their lives in the line of duty last year: Sgt. Raymond Scholwinski, Deputy Juan Menchaca, Deputy Johnny Tunches, and Honorary Deputy Cornelius Anderson.
Beyond the Call of Duty, a nonprofit organization founded by a former deputy sheriff to support the families and communities of fallen first responders, is traveling more than 22,000 miles across the nation as part of its End of Watch Ride to Remember campaign. The national touring memorial visits departments where law enforcement personnel died in the line of duty.
Founder Jagrut Shah says the group’s mission is to show departments and families they are not alone – and will never be forgotten. It’s named after the last radio call made by a dispatcher to a fallen peace officer. Surviving officers or deputies in that department hear the call and observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the fallen.
Gone But Not Forgotten
Sgt. Raymond Scholwinski
End of Watch | 5/6/2020
On May 6, 2020, Sgt. Raymond Scholwinski passed away from COVID-19 complications. He is the first Sheriff’s Office employee to die after contracting the virus.
Sgt. Scholwinski began his service with the Sheriff’s Office as a reserve deputy in 1979, serving for 14 years before becoming a full-time detention officer in 1993. From there, the 39-year agency veteran worked his way to patrol where he served until his final days. His last assignment was as the Day Watch Contract Sergeant in District II.
He is survived by his wife, Rynda, and four adult children. Sgt. Scholwinski was the 46th member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to die in the line of duty.
Deputy Juan Menchaca
End of Watch | 6/13/2020
On June 13, 2020, Deputy Juan Menchaca passed away from COVID-19 complications.
Deputy Menchaca was a 14-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office. His last assignment was the courts’ division. He began his law enforcement career with the Nacogdoches Police Department and later served 18 years as a Texas parole officer.
Deputy Menchaca was born to protect and serve. He and his wife, Melissa, had seven children. Deputy Menchaca was the 47th member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to die in the line of duty.
Honorary Deputy Cornelius Anderson
End of Watch | 7/12/2020
On July 10, 2020, Cornelius Anderson was completing his first week of training as a cadet in the Basic Peace Officer’s Course when he experienced a medical emergency that tragically took his life two days later on Sunday, July 12, 2020.
Cornelius Anderson joined the Sheriff’s Office in June 2019 as a detention officer with aspirations of dedicating his life to protecting and serving our communities. The Sheriff’s Office posthumously named him an honorary deputy at his memorial service.
Honorary Deputy Anderson was the 48th member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to die in the line of duty.
Deputy Johnny Tunches
End of Watch | 11/2/2020
On November 2, 2020, Deputy Johnny Tunches passed away from COVID-19 complications. Deputy Tunches was a 29-year veteran of the agency who was assigned to Patrol District 2 in northeast Harris County as a Contract Deputy for the Timber Hills neighborhood.
He was a proud U.S. Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm. Deputy Tunches began his public service career in 1991 at a former detention center in the Atascocita area.
His brother, Randy, retired with the Sheriff’s Office as a Lieutenant. He is survived by his wife and three daughters. Deputy Tunches is the 49th member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to die in the line of duty.
The trailer departed from Washington State on May 28. For 84 days, six riders will lead a trailer covered in photos of the 329 peace officers and law enforcement personnel who died while serving their communities in 2020. The long journey is a solemn reminder that behind each picture displayed on the trailer – and each stop – are family members, teammates, and a community. They were husbands and wives, sons and daughters, partners and public servants, mothers and fathers, and brothers and sisters.
We’re grateful for the coordinators of the End of Watch Ride to Remember campaign for their strong commitment to honor each of those lives on the memorial trailer. This gives our deputies and teammates another chance to reflect on their legacy.
To learn more about our fallen heroes, please visit our Sheriff’s Office Memorial Site. And to see all of the communities the End of Watch Ride will be visiting this year, visit the organization’s website.