Arlington Police Officer Craig Story, age 34, died in the line of duty on January 13, 2010. He served with the Arlington Police Department for seven years. This year marks the 15th anniversary of his passing.
Officer Craig Story (1975-2010)
Craig Gordon Story was born on December 11, 1975. He spent most of his life in Wichita Falls and graduated from Rider High School in 1994. Craig aspired to join the military but could not enlist due to his asthma. He studied Criminal Justice instead and received his bachelor’s degree from Midwestern State University in 2001.
Craig joined the Arlington Police Department in May 2022. He was a Field Training Officer who trained nearly 15 new police recruits over two years. He was also a member of the Tactical Unit before joining the Traffic Unit as a motorcycle officer in October 2009. Officer Story was nominated as East District Officer of the Year in 2005 and Employee of the Month in July 2009. He also had 19 commendations.
On January 13, 2010, around 7:15 A.M., Officer Story activated his lights and sirens to pursue a speeding vehicle. His motorcycle soon collided with a school bus turning in front of him. The force of the collision ejected him from the motorcycle, which burst into flames, with the gas tank likely exploding from the impact. The accident occurred at Cooper Street and Lynda Lane, near Arlington High School. Witnesses saw the accident and rushed over to help. They helped extinguish the flames on his clothing and pulled him to a safe area. Unfortunately, Officer Story succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The community held a candlelight vigil a few days later. Memorial services were held at Crossroads Christian Church in Grand Prairie. Hundreds of uniformed police officers from throughout North Texas attended. Officer Story, age 34, was buried at Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Family, friends, and peers remember as a great man and a hardworking officer dedicated to keeping Arlington safe.
Craig and his wife, Danielle, were married nine years and had a two-year-old son named John. They were expecting their second child at the time of his death. Craig was a devoted husband and father. He also had a black belt in Jujitsu and was an amateur wrestler and weightlifter. He was bilingual in English and Spanish and starting to learn Vietnamese.
Arlington honors Officer Craig Story with a memorial sign near the accident site and a plaque at Heroes Park. The Arlington Police Department holds an annual ceremony in May to honor and recognize officers lost in the line of duty. They also post remembrances on Facebook for each of the anniversaries.
Officer Craig Story was the seventh Arlington Police Officer lost in the line of duty. He was the first of two lost in 2010—Officer Jillian Smith died in December.
Blog post by Jason S. Sullivan, 01-13-25
Jason S. Sullivan 