Waller County, TX – Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Damon Allen was murdered on Thanksgiving day as he was walking away from his killer.

Trooper Allen, 41, stopped Dabrett Black on a traffic stop on I-45 at around 4 p.m.

After initiating the stop, Trooper Allen contacted Black and was returning to his patrol car when Black opened fire on him.

Black fled after the shooting and was located in Waller County at around 6:30 p.m. A gunfight broke out between Black and the officers who found him. It’s not clear at this time if anybody was hit in the gunfight.

The Navarro County Sheriff’s Office announced at around 8:30 p.m. that Black was captured after being surrounded in a field.

Corsicana Daily Sun reports that Black had a criminal history of assaulting a public servant and trying to take their weapon in 2015, and another charge of assaulting a public servant and reckless driving in 2017.

Gov. Abbott released a statement about the shooting, saying:

“With heavy hearts on this Thanksgiving, Cecilia and I express our most sincere condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of the Trooper who was callously killed today in the line of duty,” Gov. Abbott said. “As law enforcement continues to search for the individual responsible for this heinous crime, I ask that all of Texas keep this trooper and his brothers and sisters in blue in their thoughts and prayers. 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.”

Texas DPS tweeted out the following messages:

“Our DPS family is heartbroken tonight after one of Texas’ finest law enforcement officers was killed in the line of duty.”

“Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Damon Allen was a loving husband and father of three.”

“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.”

Trooper Allen had been with the department since 2002.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Trooper Allen and Texas DPS. Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.

Trooper Damon Allen, your life mattered.