Texas DPS trooper killed; suspect captured after manhunt, shots fired

Authorities have captured a suspect accused of fatally shooting a Texas state trooper late Thursday afternoon on Interstate 45 just south of Fairfield in Freestone County.

Authorities said the shooting happened at about 4 p.m. and identified the suspect as Dabrett Montreal Black, 32, of Lindale.

The Waller County Sheriff's Officer later posted on Facebook that one of its deputies had spotted Black driving in that county west of Houston and that shots had been fired afterward. The neighboring Harris County Sheriff's Office said it was sending deputies to assist.

Black was reportedly cornered on foot before being arrested. He was being treated for a K-9 bite, authorities said late Thursday.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said the trooper, who has not been identified, had pulled over the suspect's vehicle for a traffic violation at about 3:45 p.m. After making contact with the driver, the trooper had returned to his patrol car when the suspect fired multiple shots from a rifle.

WFAA reported that in July its sister station CBS19 in Tyler reported Black was jailed in Smith County after a car chase with deputies. The chase ended when Black struck a patrol vehicle and both he and a deputy suffered minor injuries. Black was charged with evading arrest, aggravated assault against a public servant and reckless driving, WFAA reported.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement that "this trooper died selflessly serving Texas. Please join Angela and me as we pray for the trooper's family and for the entire Department of Public Safety."

Gov. Greg Abbott reacted from his Twitter account. "Sad on Thanksgiving to lose one of our state troopers in the line of duty," he wrote. "Prayers for his family. Swift justice for his killer."

This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Texas DPS trooper killed; suspect captured after manhunt, shots fired."