ARLINGTON, Texas — As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, Arlington is honoring Officer Fletcher Ray, the city’s first full-time Black police officer.
Officer Ray joined the Arlington Police Department in 1969, when the city had about 89,000 residents and fewer than 100 officers, according to a press release from the Office of Communication. A veteran and former military police officer, Ray served the community until 1971. He passed away in June 2012 and was laid to rest in the DFW National Cemetery. The Arlington Public Library provided a photograph of Officer Ray, taken in 1971, to The Portal to Texas History, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. For more historical articles, photos, and events planned throughout 2026, visit…..