A former Austin Police Department officer was honored Thursday for helping end the deadly shooting spree from the top of The University of Texas Tower 40 years ago.
Ray Martinez was one of two police officers who stopped Charles Whitman's bloody rampage in August, 1966.
The city city honored him by proclaiming Aug. 1 as Ramiro "Ray" Martinez Day in Austin. Aug. 1 was the day of the shooting.
Martinez said he wasn't the only hero that fateful day.
"I want to thank all those ambulance drivers who put their lives in danger to pick up the wounded, the students who went out there to the scene and took out all the wounded people and the personnel in the emergency room who took care of all the wounded," Martinez said.
Martinez also received a specially framed August edition of Texas Monthly magazine, which highlights that dark day. His picture is featured in the article.
News 8 Austin has a five-part series on the anniversary of the Tower Shooting. You can read and watch those stories online.
News 8 Austin will also air an hour-long special on the Tower shootings on Sunday, July 30 at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.; on July 31 at 9 p.m. and on Aug. 1 at noon, 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.
The special will be available on Time Warner's Video On Demand by Aug. 2.
