Texas Tale: Tall or True?

Frontier Battalion, Co. "B", about 1880

A number of years ago in north east Texas there was a kidnapping of a young girl.  A report of the suspect's car came over the radio and a Deputy Sheriff who was close to that location sped to the scene.  When he arrived a Texas Ranger was already there, had the girl safely in his care and the perp was dead, shot by the Ranger.
By Texas law the local justice of the peace was called out to pronounce the perp dead, which he did.  He listed the cause of death as suicide.

The family of the perp questioned the cause of death, since the perp had been shot and killed by the Ranger, so a coroner's inquest was held.  The justice of the peace was placed on the stand and asked why he had listed the cause of death as suicide.  The Justice of the Peace answered, "Because if you point a gun at a Texas Ranger after he has told you to put it down, you are committing suicide."  The cause of death stood.