KEY UPCOMING DECISIONS IN CASE OF MAN SUSPECTED OF KILLING DPS TROOPER
(Department of Public Safety)
Several decisions could soon be made in the case of a man accused of shooting and killing a Department of Public Safety trooper.
34-year-old Dabrett Black of Lindale is charged with capital murder in the death of 41-year-old Damon Allen of Teague on Thanksgiving Day 2017. Allen was killed during a routine traffic stop on I-45 south of Fairfield.
Black fled the scene, leading to a massive manhunt that ended with his arrest in Waller County on FM 1488, between Hempstead and Prairie View.
According to the Freestone County District Attorney’s Office, a pre-trial hearing scheduled for September 26th should shed some light on where Black will be tried, and whether prosecutors will seek a death penalty.
The office said it expects the counties the judge has inquired into will respond before that hearing. It also said there is still evidence that needs to be investigated that is part of the discovery process.
Back in March, Black was granted a change of venue for the trial. The District Attorney’s Office said the judge over the case has spoken with several district judges in the state about a host venue for the trial, with locations ranging from the Dallas-Fort Worth area down to the Brazos Valley.
At the hearing in March, the judge said he would take time to visit multiple courtrooms in the state to determine which one would work best for the trial.