AUSTIN (January 3, 2013)--Former Austin police officer Houston McCoy, who helped stop Charles Whitman's 1966 sniper rampage from atop the University of Texas clock tower will be laid to rest Thursday.
Services will be held Thursday afternoon in the rural West Texas town of Menard and a graveside service with police honors will follow.
McCoy, who died at age 72 on Dec. 27, fired two blasts from his shotgun to bring down Whitman, who killed 16 people on Aug. 1, 1966.
Whitman wounded dozens of others before McCoy and fellow officer Ramiro Martinez made their way to the tower's observation deck.
Martinez also fired on Whitman.
Whitman was a Texas student and former Marine when he opened fire on the campus.
