On Sunday, December 8, 2024, at approximately 11:00 p.m., Officer Jacob Candanoza, Badge Number 6190, initiated a traffic stop in the 1600 block of S. State Highway 34. Shortly after requesting a cover unit, Terrell Police received multiple 9-1-1 calls reporting that an officer had been shot.
Responding officers arrived on the scene and confirmed that Officer Candanoza had sustained gunshot wounds. Emergency medical aid was administered, and he was transported to Baylor Scott and White in Forney. Tragically, Officer Candanoza succumbed to his injuries.
Officer Candanoza had served with the Terrell Police Department since July 2024. The department expressed its deepest condolences to his family during this difficult time.
According to police, Candanoza was able to give the responding officers the suspect’s license plate information following the traffic stop. Officers located the suspect’s vehicle, but the suspect had fled the scene.
By approximately 5:30 a.m. on Monday, the suspect in the shooting was apprehended and is being held at the Kaufman County Detention Center. He is identified as 25-year-old Darrian Cortez Johnson. Johnson has been charged with Capital Murder of a Peace Officer.
As the investigation remains ongoing, further details have not been released. The Terrell Police Department has invited the community to honor Officer Candanoza by leaving flowers, cards, or messages of support at his patrol vehicle, which is parked in front of the police station.
