In Kaufman County, police have released details about the man suspected of killing Terrell police officer Jacob Candanoza last night during a traffic stop. Officials say Darrian Cortez Johnson, 25, was booked into the Kaufman County Jail around 10 a.m., on a charge of capital murder of a peace officer.
Officer Jacob Candanoza, 28, initiated a traffic stop at about 11 p.m. last night. Candanoza pulled over a pickup truck in the parking lot of the Super 8 Motel in the 1600 block of South State Highway 34. Candanoza called for more officers to assist. Moments later, multiple people called 911 reporting an officer had been shot. Candanoza was taken to a hospital in Forney, where he died.
The Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office said Candanoza was in a struggle with a man driving in a gray Chevrolet pickup with Mississippi license plates. The suspect drove away and headed east. Law enforcement pursued the suspect into Van Zandt County, where the suspect crashed the truck and then fled on foot into a wooded area. An all-night manhunt followed. Police say Johnson was taken into custody about 5:30 a.m. this morning. Johnson is at the Kaufman County Detention Center in Kaufman.
The Dallas Morning News reports Candanoza graduated from Midlothian High School. He served as a sergeant in the Marines for about five years. In 2019, Cardonoza began working for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office before joining the Terrell Police Department in July of this year. He leaves behind a wife and young child.
