Texas Man Who Tried to Shoot and Kill DPS Trooper Found Dead

Get our free mobile app

A Texas man's run from state authorities over the weekend for shooting a trooper with the Texas Department of Public Safety came to a tragic end on Saturday, March 27.

The Texas Department of Public Safety reports the shooting incident took place Friday, March 26. At about 8 p.m., DPS trooper Chad Walker noticed a vehicle had broken down on the side of U.S. Highway 84 near Mexia, Texas, located northwest of Houston, and decided to help.

As Walker pulled up to the vehicle, Texas DPS alleges that a man in the driver's seat opened fire even before Walker could exit his patrol vehicle. According to multiple reports, Walker was shot once in the head and abdomen and remains in critical condition at a hospital in Waco as of Monday, March 29.

The shooting suspect, later identified as 36-year-old DeArthur Pinson Jr., reportedly fled the scene on foot after the shooting. The Mclennan County Sheriff's Office reported on Saturday, March 27, that after a brief but extensive search, Pinson Jr. had been located and pronounced dead by suicide.

One news report says Pinson Jr. had barricaded himself inside a home not far from where the shooting took place. It was there that authorities reportedly found Pinson Jr. dead and have since ruled it a suicide.

Authorities continue to investigate the shooting and the circumstances of Pinson Jr.'s death. Pinson Jr. had already served time in prison for a 2006 aggravated robbery conviction and was thrown in jail for 2 days in 2017 for criminal trespassing. A motive for Friday's shooting has yet to be uncovered.