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Man accused of shooting police officer in North Texas arrested after hours-long manhunt, Burleson police say

Police: Shooting is also connected to woman’s death

Law enforcement officials are searching for Jerry Don Elders, who is accused of shooting a Burleson police officer, according to authorities. Images: Burleson police, DPS (KSAT)

BURLESON, TexasUpdate (2:20 p.m. Wednesday): A suspect in the shooting of a Burleson police officer has been apprehended, according to the city’s police department.

Jerry Don Elders was arrested in Gainesville, a city north of Dallas, police said.

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He was wanted on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a police officer, a first-degree felony, and possession following the shooting in Burleson early Wednesday.

Original (2:10 p.m. Wednesday): Law enforcement officials are searching for a man who shot a police officer multiple times early Wednesday in North Texas.

Jerry Don Elders is accused of shooting a Burleson police officer at about 4:15 a.m. in Burleson, about 45 miles southwest of Dallas, the police department said.

Police said the officer was taken to a Fort Worth hospital. His condition wasn’t immediately known.

Elders is 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs 165 pounds, has brown hair and has blue eyes, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is looking for the suspect along with U.S. Marshals and Texas Rangers.

Elders, who is believed to be armed and dangerous, is expected to be driving a silver 2014 Toyota Tacoma truck with the Texas license plate DKB6819, Burleson police said. The vehicle has front-end damage.

Burleson police said the Tacoma is stolen.

According to police, the shooting happened after the officer made a traffic stop in the 1100 block of Hillside Drive. As the officer approached the vehicle on the passenger’s side, one of the three occupants in the vehicle opened fire.

The suspects fled and ditched their vehicle. One of the suspects then went to a home and carjacked a resident, police said.

Burleson police said the suspects are connected to a shooting that killed a woman, but details on that incident were not immediately available.

The woman arrived at a Joshua Police Department with gunshot wounds before 9 a.m. She was transported to a hospital, where she later died.

It was not immediately clear if the Tacoma belonged to the deceased woman or if she was a victim of the carjacking.

DPS officials urged people to “use extreme caution” if they locate Elders and to contact authorities.

The shooting is at least the fourth involving a Texas law enforcement officer in recent weeks.

An Austin police officer was shot and wounded Friday, while a state trooper was shot and wounded during a manhunt for a man accused of opening fire on a cabinet business. And late last month, a state trooper was fatally shot during a traffic stop near Mexia, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of Dallas.


About the Authors
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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