COPPERAS COVE, Texas (KWTX) – Copperas Cove Police Officer Elijah Garretson was shot and killed in the line of duty on Saturday, the Copperas Cove Police Dept. confirmed.
Garretson, 27, was fatally shot at the Great Hills Drive and Lost Trail intersection on Jan. 10. The officer’s body was escorted to a medical examiner’s office in North Texas on Sunday morning.
The body of slain Copperas Cove Police Officer Elijah Garretson is escorted north to a medical examiner’s office in Dallas.
“As we begin to navigate this incredibly difficult time, we ask for understanding and patience as our department, Officer Garretson’s family, and our law enforcement family grieve this tremendous loss,” the Copperas Cove Police Department wrote in a social media post.
“We ask the community to keep Officer Garretson’s loved ones and our department in their thoughts and prayers,” the department said.
Garretson earned the Academic Award when he graduated from the Central Texas College Police Academy with the highest grade point average in the class, according to a social media post from June 2025.
Officer Garretson(Facebook)
The suspect in the shooting was located and, according to police, took his own life after a lengthy negotiation attempt.
The Texas Rangers are investigating. No further information is available at this time.
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