WACO, Texas (AP) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says changes to the state’s bail system are needed after a man who was out on bond allegedly shot and killed a state trooper on Thanksgiving.
Abbott on Tuesday was joined in Waco by the widow of 41-year-old trooper Damon Allen while calling for judges to have better access to a suspect’s criminal history before setting bond.
Authorities say Dabrett Black shot the trooper with a rifle during a traffic stop last November while out on bond on charges of aggravated assault on a public servant. Black is charged with capital murder in Allen’s death and has pleaded not guilty.
Abbott says only judges and not lower-level magistrates should set bond in felony cases. He’s calling on the Texas Legislature to pass the reforms next year.
(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
