Tragedy struck in North Texas late Sunday evening as a Terrell police officer was fatally shot during a routine traffic stop. Officer Jacob Candanoza, 28, pulled over a vehicle around 11 p.m. yesterday in the 1600 block of S. State Highway 34, according to a statement Mary Hauger, a spokesperson for the department, gave at a press conference. Following the stop, two 911 calls reported an officer had been shot, leading to a rapid police response at the scene near a Super 8 motel. Candanoza was found with gunshot wounds and was transported to a hospital where he later died.

Hauger further announced in details provided by KENS5 that Candanoza was able to relay the license plate number of the vehicle involved during the initial traffic stop. This crucial piece of information led state Highway Patrol and off-duty officers to locate and chase the suspect's vehicle into Van Zandt County. The pursuit culminated in the suspect's arrest.

The department has not released further details about the circumstances leading to the shooting or the identity of the suspect now in custody. Amid expressions of grief and support, "We want to extend our deepest condolences to the family during this hard time," Hauger said, as reported by KHOU. This statement was echoed in a wave of sorrow that has extended through the Terrell community and beyond.

Candanoza had only taken his oath in July, and his sudden death is a shocking loss to the Terrell Police Department, a tight-knit force in a town about 30 miles east of Dallas.