Authorities captured the man accused of shooting and killing a Texas state trooper in Freestone County late Thursday evening.
DPS identified the suspect as 32-year-old Dabrett Black from Lindale.
Black is accused of shooting Trooper Damon Allen, 41, during a traffic stop on I-45 near Fairfield Thursday afternoon.
He was being held at the Brazos County Jail but was transferred to the Limestone County jail at 9:30 p.m. on Friday and is being charged with capital murder of a peace officer. According to the jail, he is being held without bond.
THE ARREST AFFIDAVIT
Warning some details could be considered graphic.
Trooper Allen had stopped a Chevrolet Malibu for a speeding violation on Thanksgiving around 3:45 p.m. The Malibu was traveling southbound on I-45 and was stopped near mile marker 194 south of Fairfield.
The trooper obtained Black's driver's license and returned to his patrol vehicle.
While he was walking back to his patrol car, Black exited his vehicle with a rifle, according to the arrest affidavit.
The arrest affidavit said that Black stood beside the driver side door of the patrol car and fired multiple shots at Allen while he was in the driver's seat.
Allen then attempted to exit the patrol vehicle, but he had sustained at least one fatal gunshot wound to the head. He died at the scene.
Black took off and drove from Freestone County to Waller County, near Houston, according to DPS.
When Texas Ranger Billy Mims arrived on the scene, he found Black's driver's license in a pool of Trooper Allen's blood outside the door of the patrol vehicle. The affidavit said that this led authorities to search for Black as a suspect.
Authorities located Black near Liendo Parkway and Wyatt Chapel Road in Hempstead a few hours later.
Black got into a shootout with deputies and troopers, DPS said, but it's unclear if anyone was hurt.
Roughly an hour later, authorities surrounded Black in a field and took him into custody.
PAST RECORD
Black has a criminal record. Online records showed he had at least two prior convictions before Thursday night's arrest.
In 2014, the Killeen Police Department arrested and charged him with possession of marijuana. He pleaded guilty to that misdemeanor charge, the records showed.
A year later, the Smith County Sheriff's Office arrested and charged him with assault on a public servant. He also pleaded guilty to that misdemeanor charge, the records showed.
He had a recent run-in with the Smith County Sheriff's Office, according to KLTV. Deputies arrested and charged him with evading arrest, aggravated assault against a public servant, and reckless driving in July 2017.
REMEMBERING TROOPER ALLEN
He had a wife and three children, according to DPS.
Trooper Allen was commissioned as a Trooper in July of 2002, and he was stationed in Groesbeck at the time of his death.
He is the 221st DPS officer to die in the line of duty since 1823, and the first Trooper to die in a shooting incident since 2008.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott put out the following statement regarding Allen's death:
“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."
Gov. Gregg Abbott ordered flags lowered to half-staff in his honor.
DPS Director Steve McGraw also issued a statement:
"Our DPS family is heartbroken tonight after one of Texas' finest law enforcement officers was killed in the line of duty. Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Damon Allen was a loving husband and father of three, and we ask for your prayers for his entire family and his many friends and colleagues during the difficult days ahead. Trooper Allen's dedication to duty, and his bravery and selfless sacrifice on this Thanksgiving Day, will never be forgotten."
READ MORE:
+ Freestone County Sheriff's Office holds prayer service for fallen Trooper Allen
+ Funeral services set for fallen Texas DPS trooper Allen
+ Waller County K-9 honored for catching suspect accused of shooting, killing trooper
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