Texas Sheriff’s Deputy Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop, Suspect Arrested

A Texas Sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot Tuesday while conducting a traffic stop. Police arrested the suspect early Wednesday.

Deputy Chris Dickerson, 28, was a veteran of the U.S Army and Texas Army National Guard. He was serving the Panola County Sheriff’s Office for eight years. Dickerson was married and has two children.

“We have heavy hearts but a big community,” Kevin Lake, Panola Country Sheriff, said in a press conference. “We just ask you to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.”

The shooting occurred at around 2:57 a.m. EST on Farm-to-Market Road 10 at Gary City, Sergeant Jean Dark, of Texas Department of Public Safety, said.

The cause of the shooting was not known. However, it was found in a preliminary investigation that Dickerson stopped a Chevrolet Tahoe during a traffic stop. The suspect got down from the vehicle and fired at him multiple times. Dickerson fired back at him, but the suspect managed to escape, according to a statement from Sheriff Kevin Lake.

The local residents who heard the gunshots alerted the police. Dickerson was transported to a local hospital where he later died, according to the Associated Press.

The suspect was captured near Louisiana and was being held in custody. He was identified as Gregory Newsom, a resident of Shreveport, Los Angeles, while the rifle he used to shoot Dickerson was said to be semiautomatic one. He was awaiting extradition to Texas and could face a capital murder charge, authorities said. Newsom sustained gunshots to his leg when Dickerson fired at least three rounds at him.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the deputy killed in the line of duty and with the Panola County Sheriff’s Office as they deal with the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, said in a Tweet. “We must never forget the solemn oath our law enforcement officers take to protect and keep our communities safe. We must also ensure that the perpetrator faces swift justice.”