ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas (KTRE) - An Angelina County deputy shot and killed a Diboll man wanted by law enforcement after he pulled a handgun during a confrontation with the deputy.
The gun turned out to be an airsoft semi-automatic pistol. Sheriff Tom Selman says the behavior may be consistent with what is known as “suicide by cop.”
According to Selman, deputies were trying to arrest John Franklin Carter, 50, when he was shot. Deputies were patrolling Stubblefield Road off of U.S. 69 north of Lufkin at 7:59 a.m. and looking for Carter and saw a white 2018 Toyota leaving a home. Recognizing it as Carter’s vehicle, deputies approached it when a woman driver suddenly left the car. Selman said Carter began acting upset and got out of the vehicle and was holding the gun and said he “was not going back to prison.” Deputies told Carter multiple times to drop the gun but Carter refused, Selman said. A deputy fired his gun and struck Carter.
Selman said deputies had no way of knowing Carter’s gun was an airsoft pistol.
Selman said that days before, Carter had strangled his girlfriend into unconsciousness and to near death and cut another man with a knife who was attempting to get Carter off the woman.
Carter was on federal supervised release following a prison term for a conviction for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Investigators are looking into reports of Carter saying he was not going back to prison and making possible references to “making the cops do it.”
Nobody else was injured in the incident.
Texas Rangers are investigating the incident. The deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave, per policy.
https://www.ktre.com/2025/07/02/wanted-diboll-man-shot-killed-by-deputy-possible-suicide-by-cop/