A Texas Department of Public Safety police officer was killed in the line of duty on Thanksgiving while conducting a routine traffic stop in Freestone County, authorities said. Freestone County is about 90 miles southeast of Dallas.
According to Texas DPS officials, trooper Damon Allen was returning to his patrol vehicle at about 4 p.m. following the stop when he was shot by a rifle. Allen was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The suspect, 32-year-old Dabrett Montreal Black, fled the scene before being arrested around 9 p.m. in Waller County, just northeast of Houston. Black was taken into custody without incident and is now receiving treatment for a canine bite, police said.
Shortly after news of Allen’s death was released Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement expressing his condolences to the officer’s family, writing on Twitter, “Sad on Thanksgiving to lose one of our state troopers in the line of duty. Prayers for his family. Swift justice for his killer.”
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