District Attorney Erleigh Norville Wiley announced today that a Kaufman County Grand Jury has returned a true bill of indictment on one count of Capital Murder against Darrian Cortez Johnson, 25, of Mississippi. Johnson is now formally charged with the capital murder of Officer Jacob Candanoza of the Terrell Police Department, alleged to have occurred at approximately 11 p.m. on Sunday, December 8, 2024. The indictment charges that Johnson, in Kaufman County, Texas, “did then and there intentionally and knowingly cause the death of an individual, namely Jacob Candanoza, hereafter styled the complainant, by shooting him with a firearm, and the complainant was a peace officer who was acting in the lawful discharge of an official duty, namely conducting a traffic stop, and the defendant knew the complainant was a peace officer.” D.A. Wiley explained, “After return of this indictment, my office will prosecute the case against Darrian Johnson in the 422nd District Court.”
Terrell Police Chief Arley D. Sansom issued the following statement.
“I am very pleased and in full support of the decision today of the Kaufman County Grand Jury to indict the suspect for Capital Murder of a Police Officer, in the death of Jacob Candanoza. This is the first step towards justice being served and will begin the healing for this community. I hope that it serves as a clear message that the members of this county and our law enforcement community will not allow this type behavior to go unpunished.” Arley D. Sansom Chief of Police Terrell Police Department
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