Police Shootings and Officer Safety

Copperas Cove Police Officer Elijah Garretson, 27, was shot and killed while attempting to arrest 26-year-old fugitive Jamison Cavazos, who was wanted for engaging in organized criminal activity and failing to appear in court as of Jan. 10, Texas officials said. According to State Sen. Pete Flores, Garretson and two other officers struggled with Cavazos during the arrest attempt when Cavazos opened fire, fatally wounding Garretson before fleeing and later dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after a prolonged negotiation at a second location. The Texas Rangers are investigating the shooting, and two pistols were recovered from Cavazos. Garretson, a New Hampshire native and former U.S. Army sergeant stationed at Fort Hood, had graduated from the police academy in June 2025 as its Academic Honor Graduate and was credited with saving a fellow cadet’s life during training. He leaves behind a wife and 5-year-old daughter, and law enforcement communities in Texas and New Hampshire have publicly honored his service and sacrifice.

Gainesville Police Chief Nelson Moya says two officers were shot and wounded Wednesday while attempting to stop a suspect who had just fatally shot a person at a nearby lumber yard in a busy business district of Gainesville, Florida. As the suspect tried to leave the area during rush-hour traffic, he allegedly ambushed the responding officers, who returned fire and killed him. One officer was hit in the arm and the other in the leg; both were taken to a local hospital and are expected to make a full recovery, and police say there is no ongoing threat to the public. Investigators have not yet released the names of the suspect or the homicide victim, and detectives are still probing the motive, though Moya said there was a 'clear intent' to harm the victim. The incident will feed into ongoing state and national scrutiny of rising ambush-style police shootings and department tactics in busy civilian areas.