Terrell police officer shot and killed after pulling over truck with expired plates
KAUFMAN COUNTY - A Terrell police officer was shot and killed while on duty late Sunday night in a motel parking lot.
Investigators say 28-year-old Officer Jacob Candanoza pulled over a pickup truck with expired license plates from Mississippi around 11 p.m. in a motel parking lot off State Highway 34 near I-20 in Terrell.
The officer called for cover before approaching the truck driven by 25-year-old Darrian Cortez Johnson. But before backup could get there, police say Johnson shot the officer several times in the head and face at very close range.
"The officer was able to provide a license plate during the initial traffic stop," said Terrell Police Lt. Mary Hauger. "Off-duty officers along with Texas highway patrol located that vehicle and pursued it into Van Zandt County."
Deputies spotted the truck near the Kaufman and Van Zandt County line, starting a chase. They say Johnson eventually crashed the vehicle and ran into a wooded area.
Authorities captured Johnson around 5:30 a.m. after a seven-hour search. He was booked into the Kaufman County jail and charged with the capital murder of a peace officer.
Candanoza was taken to a hospital in Forney where he died from his injuries.
The 28-year-old served in the U.S. Marine Corps for five years. That's where he met his wife, and the two had a baby girl.
Candanoza began his career at the Dallas County Sheriff's Office as a courtesy patrol officer before entering the academy in 2023. He joined the Terrell Police Department in July.
The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation with local police and sheriff’s deputies.
Fellow officers paid tribute to him with a procession from the hospital to the medical examiner's office in Dallas County.
The officer’s father, David Candanoza, described to FOX 4 the emotional moment he found out his son was gone.
"There is a curtain and just knowing he is on that side of the curtain. We were out here talking. One of the lights flickered, and it got brighter where we were at. One of the officers goes, ‘What happened?’ I go, ‘Jacob just got his wings,’" the dad recalled.
David says he was relieved to know his son’s suspected killer was caught.
"I was such a nervous wreck because I thought this guy would get away," he said. "The second they said they got him, I screamed out, ‘Hell yeah!’ And I just broke down falling down crying."
David took comfort late Monday evening at the family's skating rink in Cedar Hill, where Jacob stopped by Saturday evening to show off his police equipment.
"I just can't believe this happened. I just saw him 24 hours ago," he said. "I remember the way I gave him the last hug before he left."
Candanoza would have turned 29 on Saturday. He is the first Terrell police officer killed in the line of duty since 1980.