Texas city mourns its first officer killed in line of duty in more than 100 years

A northeast Texas town is in mourning this Thanksgiving week after an officer on its police force died in the line of duty for the first time in over a century.

Officer Cooper Dawson, 27, was running after a suspect following a traffic stop Monday night when that suspect ambushed Dawson and shot him multiple times, according to the Greenville Police Department.

“Despite his critical injuries, Officer Dawson displayed exceptional courage, returning fire and striking the suspect,” the department announced.

Dawson and the suspect, Christian Robert Sparger, 25, were both taken to a local hospital. Dawson was then airlifted to a hospital in Plano where he died his injuries.

Dawson, who was married with three children, died less than a month before his 28th birthday, said Police Chief Chris Smith. He joined the Greenville force in April 2023 after seven years with the Garland Police Department. Dawson also served in the Army National Guard.

“Officer Dawson dedicated his life to serving others. He made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting his community,” Smith said in an emotional news conference Tuesday. The chief wore a black and blue mourning band across his badge.

People in Greenville, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas in Hunt County, remembered Dawson as a friendly officer who loved his family and the community. He frequently stopped at a local Italian restaurant during his dinner breaks, the manager told CNN affiliate WFAA.

“Usually, every evening he was in here, he’d FaceTime his wife and kids,” Kristen O’Brien said. “I’d hear him talking to his family while he’s working before they go to bed.”

Smith said Dawson not only returned fire after being injured but managed to apply a tourniquet to himself while waiting for an ambulance. “That is the epitome of what a heroic police officer is,” Smith said.

There have been 127 US police officers killed in the line of duty this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. Texas has 15 fallen officers in 2024, the most of any state.

Dawson was the first Greenville officer to be killed in the line of duty in more than 100 years, Smith said.

“We’ll get through, but it’s gonna hurt,” the chief said.

Dawson’s family has requested privacy, police said in a statement. His funeral is planned for Tuesday.

The nature of the traffic stop that ended in Dawson’s death has not been released, but police said Sparger had warrants for probation violations in Denton County that would have led to him being jailed without bond, according to Greenville Police Lt. Brandon West.

Sparger pleaded guilty to felony aggravated assault last year and was sentenced to probation, Denton County court records show. CNN has reached out to his attorney of record in Denton for comment.

In Dawson’s death, Sparger was ordered held on $5 million bond on a capital murder charge in Hunt County, according to jail records. It could not immediately be determined whether he had legal representation in Hunt County.

His last known medical condition after the shooting was critical, according to police.