Photo credit: Freestone County Jail

In Freestone County, Texas on Thanksgiving afternoon 41-year-old Texas State Trooper Damon Allen was shot and killed during a routine traffic stop.

According to the Texas State Trooper's Office, Trooper Allen pulled over a 2012 Chevy Malibu along southbound Interstate 45 just south of Fairfield.

The preliminary crime scene investigation determined that after Trooper Allen made contact with the driver of the vehicle, he returned to his patrol car to run the information of 32-year-old Dabrett Black of Lindale.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is the Darbrett Black who is wanted in the death of the Texas State Trooper. His arrest history includes violence toward law enforcement officers. We must catch him soon. <a href="https://t.co/wrIk8BVz9t">pic.twitter.com/wrIk8BVz9t</a></p>— Denton County DA (@DentonCountyDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DentonCountyDA/status/933862012911747078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2017</a></blockquote>

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That's when Dabrett Black fired multiple shots from his rifle, instantly killing Trooper Allen at the scene, from which Black then sped away.

Law enforcement agencies then began a severe manhunt to locate the suspect, who had just killed one of their own, who was also a father of three young children.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/7elDFFOvrf">pic.twitter.com/7elDFFOvrf</a></p>— Navarro County OEM (@NavarroOEM) <a href="https://twitter.com/NavarroOEM/status/933861221744422913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2017</a></blockquote>

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Black was later spotted in Waller County, just northwest of Houston, which prompted a foot chase between responding officers and the suspect.

Shots were reportedly fired between officers and Black, before Texas DPS troopers and multiple law enforcement agencies were able to corner the suspect and bring him into police custody.

He was booked into the Brazos County Jail and charged with capital murder of a peace officer. As of Friday evening, Black was transported and booked into Freestone County Jail.

Police say Black has a lifelong criminal history, and most recently in July 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 were transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Black was then charged with evading arrest, aggravated assault against a public servant, and reckless driving.

“Our DPS family is heartbroken tonight after one of Texas' finest law enforcement officers was killed in the line of duty,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said. “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.”

Governor Greg Abbott also reacted to the fatal shooting offering his condolences to the family of Trooper Allen.

“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.”

—<i>[email protected]</i>

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