Two Texas deputies killed in shootout after responding to complaint about dog

Two Texas sheriff’s deputies were killed and a city employee was wounded Monday evening in a shootout while responding to a complaint about a dog. 

The incident occurred in the city of Eden, located about 210 miles southwest of Dallas, when two Concho County deputies and a city employee arrived at a home to respond to the complaint. 

Sgt. Justin Baker of the Texas Department of Public Safety said at a Tuesday press briefing that after the three individuals arrived at the scene and “while making contact with an individual at the residence” shortly after 8:40 p.m. local time, an “altercation occurred.” 

Baker added that this “quickly escalated to gunfire” and that the two sheriff’s deputies were “fatally wounded,” with the Eden city employee “critically wounded.” 

The identities of the sheriff’s deputies and the city employee were not immediately clear, though Baker said Tuesday that more details would be released to the public as investigators continue to look into the incident. 

Local NBC News affiliate KCBD reported that 28-year-old Jeffrey Nicholas has been arrested in connection with the shooting and charged with two counts of capital murder of a peace officer.

Nicholas was booked into the Tom Green County Jail and is being held on a $4 million bond, according to county jail records. 

The Lubbock Police Department said Tuesday that it was “heartbroken” to learn of the deputies’ deaths, adding that it would be escorting the bodies to a forensics lab in Lubbock, about 200 miles northwest of Eden. 

“We appreciate your cooperation and ask you to lift up the families, both blood and blue, of these two heroes,” the department added in a Facebook post. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) released a statement sending his condolences to the loved ones of the fallen officers, writing, “Our hearts are broken over the senseless murder of two Concho County Sheriff’s Deputies who were gunned down in the line of duty.”

“This terrible loss is a solemn reminder of the risks our brave law enforcement officers face while protecting our communities,” he continued. “The State of Texas is prepared to provide any assistance needed to support the Concho County community and bring the perpetrator of this heinous crime to justice.”