Attorney General Ken Paxton today announced that Captain Wes Hensley from the Law Enforcement Division of his office received an award for valor during the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement’s annual Law Enforcement Achievement Awards Ceremony at the state Capitol. Captain Hensley serves as a commissioned officer in the Law Enforcement Division’s Fugitive Apprehension Unit.  

On the afternoon of December 11, 2018, Captain Hensley and several fellow law enforcement officers were attacked by an armed suspect while executing a felony arrest warrant at the home of a violent criminal in Houston. During the course of the engagement that followed, Captain Hensley exhibited exceptional courage while risking his own life to protect others, even after being critically wounded numerous times.   

During the course of the engagement, Captain Hensley twice made face to face contact with the assailant. The first time, Captain Hensley and the other officers were ambushed as they were searching the suspect’s apartment. When the officers entered the apartment’s bathroom, the assailant opened fire, hitting Captain Hensley multiple times.  Believing Captain Hensley to be dead, the assailant left the room to pursue and fire on the other officers. Captain Hensley followed the assailant and again took gunfire while attempting to convince the suspect to surrender. Suffering from multiple wounds to his body and unable to use his arms, Captain Hensley then crawled his way out of the apartment while continuing to take fire. During a subsequent standoff with police, the shooter took his own life.  

“There is no more important duty of the commissioned peace officers in my Law Enforcement Division than to protect Texans from harm, and Captain Hensley bravely put public safety before his own safety when he confronted pure evil,” Attorney General Paxton said. “Captain Hensley is deeply deserving of this award, along with the gratitude of all Texans for the courage and dedication that he and other officers like him show in protecting us from the dangerous human predators in our midst.” 

Captain Hensley has 15 years of service with the attorney general’s office, including work in the Child Exploitation Unit. Since last year, he’s undergone several reconstructive surgeries on his hands and arms, and continues on the road to recovery.