TENNESSEE COLONY, Texas (KLTV) - The Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials at the Coffield Unit have shared more details about the capture of a man who is accused of the fatal shooting of a police officer. On December 8, Terrell Police Officer Jacob Candanoza was shot to death during a late-night traffic stop for an expired license plate in a motel parking lot. Before his death, he successfully provided the license plate during the initial stages of the traffic stop, aiding in his own investigation, officials say. Deputies located the suspect’s vehicle near the Kaufman and Van Zandt County line. Officials say it was driven by 25-year-old Darrian Johnson of Mississippi. The vehicle was pursued by deputies, resulting in a crash. Johnson ran from the crash into a densely wooded area, according to the TDCJ statement. Van Zandt County Sheriff Joe Carter contacted Sergeant Dyer of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - H.H. Coffield Unit, requesting assistance in the search for Johnson. Sergeant Dyer and Officer Phillips from the Coffield Unit Kennel, accompanied by trained pack dogs and horses, went to the scene. After a multi-hour search, Sergeant Dyer and Officer Phillips located Johnson on horseback near a coffee shop located off of Texas Highway 19 in the pre-dawn hours of Monday. Dyer and Phillips, with the assistance of other agencies, turned Johnson over to the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office and he was charged with capital murder of a peace officer. The Coffield Unit officials extended sympathies to the family of Officer Jacob Candanoza, who left behind his wife and five-year-old daughter.
https://www.kltv.com/2024/12/11/new-details-released-arrest-suspect-terrell-officers-fatal-shooting/