A trooper for the Texas Department of Public Safety was shot and killed Thursday south of Dallas and officials are looking for the man they believe is responsible.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the TXDPS trooper shot and killed this afternoon in Freestone County,” said a statement from the Navarro County Office of Emergency Management. The trooper was not identified. Authorities have identified the suspect as Darbrett Black.
The sheriff’s office in Waller County, just west of Houston, said on Facebook the suspect was seen by a deputy and shots were fired.
Units from nearby Harris County came to assist the search for the suspect.
The public safety department said the trooper made a traffic stop about 3:45 p.m. on Interstate-45 in Freestone County. The trooper went up to the car, talked to the suspect, and returned to his patrol car.
The trooper died in his car after the suspect fired multiple times with a rifle, the department said.
The suspect left the scene in Freestone County driving a gray Chevy Malibu with the tag number JDN4273.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted his condolences.
“Sad on Thanksgiving to lose one of our state troopers in the line of duty. Prayers for his family. Swift justice for his killer,” he wrote.