Suspect in Trooper Shooting was Given Deal in 2015 Attack

TEAGUE (AP/STAFF) – A state trooper who died in the line of duty will be laid to rest on Friday. Trooper Damon Allen was shot and killed during a traffic stop along I-45 near Fairfield on Thanksgiving Day. Charged with capital murder in the case is Dabrett Black, 32, of Lindale. 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. Police camera footage from the Smith County Sheriff’s Department from the 2015 incident in Smith County, shows Dabrett Black beating a sheriff’s deputy.

The deputy, identified as Wesley Dean, no longer works at the department. The court documents say he suffered black eyes, a broken nose and lacerations above his eyes that required stitches to close. The footage also shows him talking to the in-car camera saying to imagine if he had had a weapon and talking about his belief that law enforcement officers target minorities. You can go to https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dsv446iftecfzit/AADWvBDSHZG3-6HBe4H1CRwoa?dl=0 for a link that provides access to a dropbox account that contains information and video regarding the 2015 arrest.

According to the Associated Press, a plea agreement filed in March 2016 shows a Smith County prosecutor recommended a one-year jail sentence on a misdemeanor charge in lieu of the two felony charges of assault against a public servant and trying to take an officer’s weapon. A spokesman for the district attorney’s office told WFAA that the deputy prosecutor who worked on the plea deal did not ask for permission from District Attorney Matt Bingham or his top assistant when the recommendation for reduced charges was made, which is a violation of the office’s policy. The district attorney’s office did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking additional comment.

Black is being held by the Freestone County Sheriff’s Office in the nearby Limestone County jail on a charge of capital murder of a police officer. A judge has denied setting bond on that charge.

Trooper Allen’s funeral is at 10:00 Friday morning at the Mexia High School football stadium. A visitation is Thursday evening at a funeral home in Teague. Trooper Allen had been with DPS for more than 15 years.