A suspect shot and killed two central Texas sheriff’s deputies and critically wounded a city employee while they were responding to a complaint about a dog at a home, authorities said Tuesday.
Sgt. Justin Baker, of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the suspect was taken into custody after Monday night’s attack in Eden, a city of about 1,300 people roughly 210 miles southwest of Dallas.
The two Concho County sheriff’s deputies and city employee arrived at the home shortly after 8:40 p.m., Baker said. While making contact with people at a home, “an altercation occurred and quickly escalated to gunfire,” he said.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Jeffrey Nicholas, led the deputies on a foot chase before he barricaded himself in a building.
Nicholas was charged with two counts of capital murder of a peace officer, according to court records posted online. He’s currently being held on a $4 million bond.
The Lubbock Police Department said in a statement that it was “heartbroken” to learn of the deaths and that its officers on Tuesday would escort the deputies’ bodies to a forensics lab in Lubbock, which is about 200 miles (322 kilometers) northwest of Eden.
Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement that “our hearts are broken.”
“This terrible loss is a solemn reminder of the risks our brave law enforcement officers face while protecting our communities,” Abbott said.
Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this report