28-Year-Old Terrell Police Officer Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop, Suspect in Custody

TERRELL, Texas — A Terrell police officer was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop, and the suspect who allegedly shot him is in police custody, the department said.

Officer Jacob Candanoza, 28, conducted a traffic stop and requested a cover unit around 11 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, in the 1600 block of S. State Highway 34, Mary Hauger, a spokesperson for the department, said in a press conference Monday.

Shortly after, the department received two 911 calls reporting that an officer had been shot, Hauger said. When officers arrived at the scene near a Super 8 motel, they confirmed Candanoza had been shot, according to a press release from the department.

He was taken to a hospital, where he died of injuries, police said.

Candanoza is survived by his wife and child, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Candanoza was able to provide the license plate number from the initial traffic stop, which allowed state Highway Patrol and off-duty officers to locate the vehicle and pursue it into Van Zandt County. Police apprehended the suspect there, according to officials at the scene.

The suspect in custody is a 25-year-old man from Mississippi, according to CBS News. He was taken into custody at the Mill Creek Ranch Resort, an RV park in Canton, Texas, about 30 miles east of Terrell, the outlet reported.

Police said the investigation is ongoing. The department has not released the suspect’s name or indicated whether charges have been filed.

Candanoza served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2014 to 2019 and later worked for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. He had been with the Terrell Police Department for about four months.

“We want to extend our deepest condolences to the family during this hard time,” Hauger said.

Candanoza was sworn in as a member of the Terrell Police Department on July 15, 2024. Terrell is located about 30 miles east of Dallas.