Lindale Man Charged after State Trooper Fatally Shot

DALLAS (AP/STAFF) — The suspect in the shooting death of a state trooper during a Thanksgiving Day traffic stop in East Texas was charged Friday with capital murder of a law enforcement officer. Dabrett Black, 32, of Lindale, is being held in the Brazos County jail in Bryan. He is accused of fatally shooting Trooper Damon Allen on Thursday. The Texas Department of Public Safety said in social media posts late Thursday that Allen initiated a traffic stop shortly before 4:00pm on Interstate 45 near Fairfield. DPS said Black shot Allen with a rifle after the trooper walked back to his vehicle. Allen died at the scene, DPS officials said, adding that he had been with the department since 2002. An obituary posted Friday by the funeral home said Allen is survived by his wife Kasey, three daughters and a son.

Hours after the shooting, the Waller County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect’s vehicle was spotted in Hempstead. The sheriff’s office said on its Facebook page that shots were fired, but did not indicate who opened fire. Black fled on foot and was taken into custody after a police dog found him in a nearby field. He had been hiding among hay bales, authorities said. He was treated for injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

Smith County Jail records show in July that Black was charged with evading arrest, reckless driving and aggravated assault against a public servant following a police chase in Smith County. He was charged in 2015 with for assault on a public servant and attempting to take a weapon from a public servant. Those charges were dismissed in 2016. The Associated Press reports he has also been charged with evading arrest in Anderson County.

Several Texas officials reacted to Allen’s death. In a tweet, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz offered “prayers for the family and loved ones” of the trooper. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called Allen’s shooting death a “heinous crime” in a statement Thursday. Abbott also expressed his “most sincere condolences” to the trooper’s family.

Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state flags at Texas Department of Public Safety facilities statewide to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Trooper Allen.