Nearly 100 law enforcement personnel from across Texas as well as friends and family of Texas State Trooper Jeffrey Nichols, who died in the line of duty in 2016, gathered at Cooper Lake on Monday to honor the fallen Trooper with the dedication of a Tactical Marine Vessel.
The vessel is one of eight new boats being deployed to the border.
During the ceremony, the director spoke of how Nichols loved being on the water and that this was a fitting way to keep him patrolling.
The boat has two motors, two M240 G machine guns, FLIR and radar capabilities.
Nichols was born on February 3, 1989, in Idabel, Oklahoma. He was a graduate of Detroit High School where he was valedictorian of his class.
After high school, he attended Stephen F. Austin where he received his Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and associates degree in wildlife biology, where he received honors and made the dean’s list.
In May 2016, a stretch of US-82, from the 4200 block of Lamar Ave. in Paris to the Red River County line, was named “Trooper Jeffrey Nichols Memorial Highway.”
Trooper Nichols began his career with DPS in 2011 and was stationed in Paris, Texas.
