What a horrible thing to happen on Thanksgiving. The violence against our LEOs must stop!
FREESTONE COUNTY, Tex. (KBTX)- An east Texas man is facing capital murder charges in the shooting death of a state trooper along I-45 on Thanksgiving Day.
Damon, 41, was a husband and father of three children, according to Texas DPS. He joined the agency in 2002.Dabrett Black, 32, of Lindale was tracked down in a rural area of Waller County several hours after he allegedly gunned down Trooper Damon Allen during a traffic stop near Fairfield in Freestone County.
The shooting happened around 4:00 p.m. and within minutes law enforcement agencies swarmed Limestone and Freestone Counties looking for Black’s gray Chevy Malibu.
Troopers say Black fired several shots at Trooper Allen during the traffic stop, but a motive wasn’t clear.
Just before 7:00 p.m., a deputy in Waller County spotted Black’s vehicle near FM 1488 and White Chapel between Hempstead and Prairie View.
Deputies say shots were fired when they first spotted the vehicle, but nobody was hurt.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the area to set up a perimeter, and used K9s, a SWAT team, and helicopter to search for Black.
Just before 9:00 p.m., Black was found hiding in a field and taken into custody. He did have non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Southbound traffic on I-45 south of Fairfield will be blocked for several hours as authorities complete their investigation.
According to online jail records, Black was last booked into the Smith County jail in Tyler on September 7, 2017 on charges of evading arrest, aggravated assault of a public servant and reckless driving.
Governor Abbott today issued the following statement after a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper was shot and killed in Freestone County.
“With heavy hearts on this Thanksgiving, Cecilia and I express our most sincere condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of the Trooper who was callously killed today in the line of duty. As law enforcement continues to search for the individual responsible for this heinous crime, I ask that all of Texas keep this Trooper and his brothers and sisters in blue in their thoughts and prayers. The killer will face justice, and the State of Texas will continue to offer our unwavering support for the men and women in law enforcement who keep our communities safe.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has…