It’s 10:35 p.m. on Nov. 5, and Texas state trooper Noah Ochoa is conducting a traffic stop on the Dallas North Tollway, near Spring Valley Road, when the roar of another vehicle draws his gaze back to the highway.
A black Dodge Charger races past him at what Ochoa estimates to be more than 130 mph. He sees no license plate.
Ochoa calls it in, and officers speed to catch up — making U-turns, pulling on and off the tollway, running stoplights. They quickly lose sight of the car.
Dashcam footage released by the Texas Department of Public Safety shows a state trooper in pursuit of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland along the Dallas North Tollway, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Frisco. Kneeland was found hours later inside a portable restroom, dead by suicide.
Texas Department of Public Safety / Texas Department of Public Safety
Less than 10 minutes later, the next call comes in: The Charger hit a pickup and crashed into a grassy field in Frisco before the driver fled over a hill and out of sight. A search of the car’s vehicle identification number reveals the owner is a Dallas Cowboys player. Officers surmise it must have been stolen.
Crime in The News
“When I heard who it was, I was like nah,” a trooper is heard saying in footage obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
The News reviewed more than 36 hours of footage from traffic, surveillance, body-worn and dashboard cameras to piece together the hours before Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, 24, took his own life. The videos, obtained through public records requests, do not reveal where Kneeland was coming from or why he fled, but give insight into the fraught, and at times, disjointed effort to find him.
The crash – 10:43 p.m.
At 10:43 p.m., Kneeland’s black Charger exits Dallas Parkway south and sideswipes a Ford F-250 on the frontage road, less than a mile from the bright lights of The Star, the Cowboys’ headquarters and practice facility.
The driver of the Ford, a woman who asked police not to disclose her identity, had just left dinner with a friend when she felt the impact of Kneeland’s car against hers.
The footage shows a flat driver’s side tire, and strips of paint are missing where the truck was swiped near the fuel tank.
Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (94) is seen before an NFL football game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Landover.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
About 10:45 p.m., trooper Kaitlynn King arrives at the scene.
“Ma’am, are you OK?” King asks the woman.
“He just hit me out of nowhere,” she replies. “He just hit me, then he started running.” She points toward a parking garage: “He went that way.”
The woman confirms she’s physically OK and declines medical treatment at the scene.
“She’s just very freaked out,” King tells another trooper. “He hit her hard. … Luckily she was in an F-250. If she was in a smaller car, that would be bad.”
Traffic cameras show the accident, then a figure — presumed to be Kneeland — running from the Charger, its taillights still glowing red. After walking west away from the roadway, he turns around and runs back to the car.
Shortly after, Kneeland takes off again, disappearing over a hill before law enforcement arrives. They miss him by less than 30 seconds.
The search – 10:51 p.m.
Gabriel Sanchez, one of the first responding troopers, walks toward the Charger, gun drawn.
“Where’d they go?” he calls out. “Which way did they go?”
Police begin hearing reports of a man in a red shirt running north. Later, a pedestrian says they saw someone running south, toward a parking garage.
“What was he wearing?” Sanchez asks.
“Black top with blue jeans,” the witness replies.
Officers head in every direction.
At a parking garage across from a pond near Network Boulevard and Gaylord Parkway, police search every level, stairway and elevator, their weapons held at eye-level. After about 10 minutes, they move to an adjoined apartment building and a gated dumpster, but find no sign of the suspect.
The group then walks around a shopping complex before riding with Frisco police to the next scene.
About 11:13 p.m., a K-9 leads officers to a wooded area, where they narrow in on a culvert, a tunnel that helps manage the flow of water.
“Frisco K-9,” an officer states. “I’m going to send this dog in there and he will bite you. If you’re in there, say something now.”
Shortly before 11:30 p.m., officers fire pepperballs, nonlethal projectiles meant to incapacitate potential threats, into the tunnel as more details come in over the radio: An empty holster was found under the driver’s seat of Kneeland’s car. He had texted his family goodbye.
“This just became national news,” an officer says.
About 11:40 p.m., police find a woman driving a white Buick SUV registered to Kneeland.
The woman was identified in the footage as Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera. She was one of the last people to speak with Kneeland before his death, telling police he was armed, had a history of mental illness and would “end it all.” Footage reveals Mancera made those remarks and attempts to call both Kneeland and his agent while on scene with police.
Mancera is briefly placed in handcuffs and put in the back of a squad car. After police search the Buick for Kneeland, they return to the squad car and release her, though she remains on scene.
Officers continue to monitor her, and in later footage, mention she was pulled over and questioned in the area again.
Frisco police declined to comment Monday about why or how many times Mancera was stopped. The News reached out to Mancera twice by phone and text and could not reach her.
The final hour – 12:05 a.m.
About 12:05 a.m., officers began pinging Kneeland’s phone.
It shows up in two locations: near Gaylord Parkway and Network Boulevard, then near Network Boulevard and Internet Boulevard — a 300-meter radius to search.
Despite the narrowed scope, officers appear confused about next steps, arguing over which direction they need to go.
“I don’t know anything about pings,” an officer says.
Shortly after 1 a.m., police suspect they have pinpointed Kneeland’s location and use drones to investigate.
“We found our suspect,” trooper Brandon Butler says.
Thermal sensors on the drones detect body heat in a portable restroom standing in front of an office building.
At 1:32 a.m., they find Kneeland inside.
Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders players pray over a Marshawn Kneeland jersey after an NFL game at Allegiant Stadium, Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Las Vegas.
Elías Valverde II / Staff Photographer
Kneeland’s death shattered his family and rocked his team, reigniting the effort to better mental health resources in the league.
During the first NFL Sunday without him, teams across the country honored Kneeland with a moment of silence. Players wore his name, photo and number on helmets, cleats and T-shirts.
Last week, when the Cowboys took on the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Kneeland’s jersey was displayed behind the team bench, where players stopped to bow and pray. The suicide hotline — 988 — was displayed across the scoreboard.
“I just want people to know that they’re loved and that they’re not alone,” Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy said earlier this month. “It’s tough to feel alone in that moment, and make that moment permanent.
“Man, just lean on your loved ones.”
Mental health resourcesThe 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers confidential calls with trained counselors 24/7, 365 days a year. Call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24-hour crisis hotline at 800-273-8255. Confidential online chat is available at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.Crisis Text Line: To get 24-hour support, text “HOME” or “HELLO” to 741741. More information at crisistextline.org.The Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas allows those seeking help to speak to a trained counselor on the 24-hour hotline at 214-828-1000 or by visiting sccenter.org.The Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line connects North Texans with mental health resources customized to each caller. Call 972-525-8181 or visit HereForTexas.com.
Staff writers Tracey McManus and Angela Mathew and breaking news editor Leah Waters contributed to this report.
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