Off-Duty Montague County Deputy Shot, Killed in Disturbance Call

An off-duty Montague County Sheriff's deputy was fatally shot at his home in Nocona overnight Sunday when local police responded to a disturbance call, officials say.[[291286041,L]]

In a news conference Monday morning, Sheriff Paul Cunningham said that Deputy Larry Hostetter, 41, was pronounced dead at 1:03 a.m. Monday at a Nocona hospital after being shot at a home on Jordan Drive.

Nocona Chief of Police Kent Holcomb revealed little information about the investigation into the shooting other than to say officers were called to the home at about midnight, that his officer is OK and that the Texas Rangers were leading the investigation into the fatal shooting. A spokesperson for the Texas Rangers told us Monday they are in the initial stages.

Holcomb refused to confirm why officers were called to the home, but did confirm the officer shot the deputy.

Nocona Police Department Chief Kent Holcomb and Montague County Sheriff’s Office’s Paul Cunningham discuss the fatal shooting of 41-year-old Deputy Larry Hostetter.

"It's never any fun to go through any incident like this," Holcomb said. "My officer's safe. Due to the integrity of the investigation, I can't comment any further."

Cunningham said Hostetter was a good person, had been a law enforcement officer since 2000 and that being a sheriff's deputy was everything to him. Cunningham added that Hostetter, of Fredericksburg, was married and had three children. He had been with that department since 2013.

"We just want to give our condolences and sympathies to everybody involved," Cunningham said.

These departments frequently work together.

NBC 5's Julie Fine contributed to this report.

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