Overview
- Officer Jacob Candanoza was shot several times during a traffic stop on Dec. 8, 2024 and later died after giving officers the shooter’s license plate number.
- Law enforcement used the plate number to locate and arrest Darrian Cortez Johnson hours after the shooting and charged him with capital murder.
- On Wednesday, May 27, 2026 Johnson accepted a plea deal, pleaded guilty in Kaufman County court, and was immediately sentenced by a judge to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
- Cameras were not allowed inside the courtroom and Candanoza’s family addressed Johnson during victim impact statements that conveyed grief and relief at avoiding a lengthy trial.
- Candanoza, a U.S. Marine veteran who had served as a Dallas sheriff’s deputy and then with the Terrell Police Department, is being memorialized by the city and his family through efforts such as renaming part of Highway 34 and creating a memorial display called “Jacob’s Box.”