Officer Elijah Garretson, 27, was killed in the line of duty in Copperas Cove, Texas. A U.S. Army veteran and a recent academy graduate, Garretson had served with the Copperas Cove Police Department for seven months and was the Academic Honor Graduate of his June 2025 class. Reports note he once saved a fellow cadet during training. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

The shooting occurred late on the night of January 10, 2026, with Officer Garretson shot and killed near the intersection of Great Hills Drive and Lost Trail. The Texas Department of Public Safety identified 26-year-old Jamison Wade Cavazos of Lampasas as the suspect. Authorities tracked Cavazos to a later location and, after a lengthy negotiation, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Cavazos had an existing criminal history, was on deferred adjudication for Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity, had recently pleaded true to a Driving While Intoxicated charge, and faced a January 9, 2026 warrant after failing to appear for sentencing.

The Texas Rangers have taken over the investigation. Does anyone in Central Texas have information about the nights before January 10 that could help piece together what led to this confrontation?