Suspect caught in Waller County in killing of DPS officer

Texas DPS Trooper Damon Charles Allen was shot and killed in the line of duty during a Thanksgiving Day traffic story Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. Texas DPS Trooper Damon Charles Allen was shot and killed in the line of duty during a Thanksgiving Day traffic story Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017. Photo: Texas Department Of Public Safety Photo: Texas Department Of Public Safety Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Suspect caught in Waller County in killing of DPS officer 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

A manhunt ended late Thursday in Waller County for a suspect officials say shot and killed a Texas Department of Public Safety officer in Freestone County.

Dabrett Black, 32, was captured around 8:45 p.m. in Prairie View after allegedly firing multiple shots from a rifle at a trooper, identified as Damon Allen, around 4 p.m. on Interstate 45 in Fairfield, roughly two-and-a-half hours northwest of Houston, authorities said.

Allen was a married father of three, according to the DPS.

"Our DPS family is heartbroken tonight after one of Texas' finest law enforcement officers was killed in the line of duty," said DPS Director Steven McCraw. "Trooper Allen's dedication to duty, and his bravery and selfless sacrifice on this Thanksgiving Day, will never be forgotten."

Gov. Greg Abbott called the killing a "callous" and "heinous" crime.

"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," Abbott said in a statement.

The suspect apparently fled the shooting in a gray 2012 Chevrolet Malibu with a Texas license plate. Authorities caught up with him in Waller County, where they fired some shots at him. The suspect fled on foot and authorities followed him for more than an hour.

Using night goggles, authorities said the suspect was on top of some hay bales and didn't appear to have a long gun. He then crawled along some brush near Wyatt Chapel Road, authorities said.

"We got this guy," one officer said over the scanner around 8:25 p.m. "Let's go get him on our terms, not his."

They approached the suspect with help from SWAT teams and Harris County Sheriff's officials.

"Suspect in today's fatal TXDPS trooper shooting in Freestone County has been captured in Waller County near Prairie View. Excellent operation by numerous agencies to take this suspect into custody with no additional casualties," the Navarro County Office of Emergency Management tweeted.