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The cold-blooded murder of Officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins of the Irving Police Force was a case that culminated in a chapter that most law enforcement officers will remember in the years to come. Officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins was dining with his family at a restaurant on Christmas Eve of 2000 when he responded to an emergency in Oshman's Sporting Goods.
He left his meal to arrive at the store situated across the highway from the restaurant when he encountered a group of seven inmates, known as Texas 7, who had recently escaped from the John B. Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas. Officer Hawkins was shot eleven times and had reportedly passed away at the spot.
The Homicide for the Holidays episode titled Christmas Eve Killing showcases the capital murder which led to a nationwide manhunt of the Texas 7. The synopsis reads,
"After responding to a robbery at a sporting goods store on Christmas Eve, an Irving, Texas police officer is gunned down in cold blood. When the identity of the killers is discovered, the case explodes into a nationwide manhunt."
Who was Officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins? Details explored
Aubrey Wright Hawkins was born on February 23, 1971, to Sue Jayne Hawkins (born Sellars) in Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, United States. He had served law enforcement for 5 years in total with his previous experience being with the Kaufman Police Department and Tarrant County Hospital District Police Department. He was serving the Irving Police Force for 14 months when he met with his death.
Aubrey Hawkins was initially married to Dixie Buchanan till 1993. He remarried Lori Acosta Hawkins and the couple had a son named Andrew Hawkins whom he was very close to. Officer Hawkins was 29 years old at the time of his death.
What happened to Officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins?
Officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins was dining with his wife Lori Acosta and son Andrew at Olive Garden on December 24, 2013. He received a call alerting him of suspicious activity in a sports goods store across the highway where they had just finished their meal.
Officer Hawkins responded to the call as he drove to Oshman's Sporting Goods in the Dallas-area suburb of Irving, Texas. Per Oxygen, the former store manager Wes Ferris recounted the robbery saying,
“He had a 357 Smith and Wesson revolver in his hand and he pointed it at my chest. I turned around and I saw four other guys in the store and they were all armed.”
The inmates from the Texas 7 had stormed the store during the last-minute shopping spree and held the customers and employees as hostages as they raided the store of firearms and ammo.
The former prosecutor of Dallas Co, Toby Shook revealed,
“The 911 call came out as a suspicious activity and not an armed robbery. He was not in the mindset when he drove down there that there were men with guns.”
Officer Aubrey Wright Hawkins' arrival was incident with the gang's escape through the rear side of the store. The escaped inmates fatally shot Officer Hawkins 11 times including in the face and back and ran him over.
The Texas 7 escaped with $70,000, 42 firearms, and ammunition - enough to keep them disguised till they were captured between January 22 to 24, 2001.
Christmas Eve Killing re-airs on December 21, 2023, at 11 p.m. EST on Oxygen.
