Suspect in Jacksonville officer shooting hiding in woods when found, arrested

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By Stephanie Frazier

Published: Nov. 6, 2025 at 10:13 AM GMT+7

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) – The suspect in the shooting of a Jacksonville police officer is in custody Wednesday night.

Bobby Michael Dennis, 64, was taken into custody by SWAT in the Cuney area.Default Mono Sans Mono Serif Sans Serif Comic Fancy Small CapsDefault X-Small Small Medium Large X-Large XX-LargeDefault Outline Dark Outline Light Outline Dark Bold Outline Light Bold Shadow Dark Shadow Light Shadow Dark Bold Shadow Light BoldDefault Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%Default Black Silver Gray White Maroon Red Purple Fuchsia Green Lime Olive Yellow Navy Blue Teal Aqua OrangeDefault 100% 75% 50% 25% 0%

According to Jacksonville Police Chief Steven Markasky, at about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday night, multiple law enforcement agencies assisted Jacksonville PD in serving a search warrant at a property on CR 3509, west of the Jacksonville city limits, for the apprehension of Bobby Michael Dennis.

Dennis was immediately located hiding out in a wooded area and surrendered himself to law enforcement. Dennis was handcuffed with the injured officer’s handcuffs without incident and taken to the Cherokee County Jail.

Dennis is charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer, interference with police service animal, and two counts of obstruction or retaliation.

Background: Officer, K9 injured in shooting

Police Chief Steven Markasky said the officer was patrolling the 1100 block of Churchill Street when she saw Dennis, who had outstanding warrants in Cherokee County for obstruction and retaliation, standing outside of his home. According to Chief Markasky, law enforcement has been looking for Dennis since early October.

The officer approached Dennis, calling out to him as “Mr. Dennis” and asked him to come to her when he moved behind his residence. According to Markasky, the officer then saw Dennis holding an AR-15.

Markasky said the officer ran to use her patrol unit for cover when Dennis began firing at her. Several rounds pierced the patrol unit, hitting the officer’s K-9 partner, Renzo.Watch East Texas News at 5.

Markasky said the officer then attempted to run to a nearby residence for more cover when she was struck once in the arm, falling to the ground. The officer got back up and continued to run for cover as Dennis continued firing at her.

“Her bravery and will to survive under gunfire represent the very best of what it means to wear this badge,” Markasky said.

Markasky said the officer reached a wooded area and fell again while attempting to call for help with her radio. Markasky said Dennis continued to fire at the officer and hit her once more, in the leg, while she was on the ground. Markasky said the officer got up again and ran deeper into the woodline before Dennis fled as backup unit arrived.4-day manhunt for Jacksonville officer’s suspected shooter ends with arrest

“It is important to note that at no point during this incident did the officer fire or even draw her weapon,” Markasky said. “Her right arm was incapacitated from a gunshot wound almost immediately. She was in full retreat while under heavy fire. The K-9 was also never deployed from the vehicle.”

According to Markasky, responding personnel quickly located the injured officer, who had already attempted to apply a tourniquet to her arm, and began emergency medical aid. The injured officer was flown to a Tyler hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. She is currently stable and recovering. K-9 Renzo was also taken to an emergency vet clinic in Tyler, where he is still being treated.

Gov. Greg Abbott has announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Dennis in the shooting of the Jacksonville police officer. That announcement was made by the Jacksonville Police Department shortly before 2 p.m. Monday. He was also added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitives list.

Eight arrested, accused of helping hide suspect in shooting of two Ohio officers

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Updated: 11:10 AM EDT Jun 19, 2025

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Emily Sanderson

Digital Media Manager

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Eight people were arrested Wednesday, accused of helping a man who was wanted for shooting two police officers during a traffic stop.

It happened just outside the Columbus area back in May. Police said deputies pulled over a car because it was ” starting and stopping randomly in the middle of the street and intersection.”

When officers approached the car and inquired about the smell of marijuana, 21-year-old Daveonte Dixon fled, firing 15 shots as he ran, hitting two officers. Both officers were treated and released from the hospital.

Dixon was arrested by US Marshalls after a three day search. Officials say Dixon was taken into custody with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He remains in critical condition.

He has been charged with felonious assault and attempted murder.

On Wednesday, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office shared a video, showing them arresting Dixon’s alleged accomplices.

Chief deputy Rick Minerd said rather than reporting him and collecting the $40,000 reward they, “chose to help a cop shooter try to disappear and ended up in handcuffs, in a jail cell, and in the same spotlight of accountability that Dixon has.”

Both officers were treated and released from the hospital.

Fugitive Father Had ‘Outside Help’ Hiding His 3 Kids in ‘Well-Hidden’ Campsite Before Being Shot Dead: Police

Newly released images appear to show how the family was living before Tom Phillips, who had been on the run in New Zealand for almost four years, died in a police shootout on Monday, Sept. 8

By 

Becca Longmire

Becca Longmire

Becca Longmire is a digital news writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on ET Canada, Metro and the Mail Online.

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Updated on September 10, 2025 11:43AM EDT

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NEED TO KNOW

• New images have been released of the “well-hidden” campsite where fugitive father Tom Phillips was living with his 3 children after going on the run in New Zealand for almost 4 years
• Phillips was shot dead by police on Sept. 8 in Waikato, a region of the country’s upper North Island
• Poice also revealed they think Phillips had “outside help” keeping his children hidden in the “challenging environment”

Police have released further photos of the “well-hidden” campsite where fugitive father Tom Phillips was hiding with his three children in a rural area of New Zealand before being shot dead in a police shootout.

Phillips disappeared with his children, Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, after an alleged dispute with their mother back in 2021, PEOPLE previously reported. He’d been on the run since December of that year.

New Zealand Police then confirmed Phillips had been fatally shot in the early hours of the morning on Monday, Sept. 8 in Waikato — a region of the country’s upper North Island — following a suspected burglary in the small town of Piopio.

Police have since been revealing further details about the case, including releasing images of the campsite where the father and kids — who are now safe and in the care of the Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) — had recently been staying.

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, police said in a separate news release that they were continuing the search of the camp, believed to be the main place Phillips had been hiding out in recent months. They stated that the area was “difficult to access” and “well-hidden,” as well as highlighting “the challenging environment the family used as their base.” They also said they believed the suspect had “outside help” keeping his children hidden.

One of the images shared showed what appeared to be a makeshift hut surrounded by trees, while another showed a shelter, and one featured a tent and tarp, a gas bottle,a camping stove, and packs of what appeared to be alcohol.

“Police have released new images from this wider site, approximately 200 metres away, across some difficult terrain from where the younger children were found on Monday,” the latest release stated.

Officers confirmed on Monday that the two remaining children had been discovered “unharmed” following the shootout, and were “now safe,” per a previous news release. Phillips’ third child had been with him at the time of the shooting and was already in police custody.

In Wednesday’s release, Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said officers had been working in steep and uneven terrain to document evidence from the scene.

“It’s a very grim, dimly-lit area, surrounded by dense bush. The tent was well covered and dry,” Saunders insisted, per the post.

“We are currently looking at a number of items at the site. Aside from the burglaries we are now able to link to Tom, it is apparent that he had outside help,” he added.

Police confirmed in the release that officers’ vehicles and the quad bike used by Phillips had been removed from the scene of Monday’s shootout, which also saw an officer get seriously injured, on Te Anga Road.

The injured officer “continues to recover in Waikato Hospital,” the release noted.

Saunders added that “Operation Curly” — focused on locating Phillips and the safe return of the three children — had now “naturally” come to a conclusion as “the police work enters a new phase.”

The latest update comes after police released the first photographs of the campsite where the family was believed to have been staying on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The site was just over a mile from the scene of t shootout.

The Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children) then provided an update on the children’s well-being in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

Warwick Morehu, Oranga Tamariki and Whānau Services Regional Commissioner Waikato and Bay of Plenty, said on Tuesday, “I can confirm the children had a settled night, they are doing well under the circumstances and engaging with the staff supporting them.”

“I want to assure you that these children will be provided with whatever help or assistance they may need, for however long they may need it,” he insisted.

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Morehu continued, “These are young children, and this has been an unprecedented set of circumstances. Everyone is doing their best to ensure we can return them to some form of a normal daily life.” 

“We don’t know exactly what that looks like yet, or how long that may take, we will be guided by the needs of these children,” he said in the statement, asking for privacy for the children despite the “huge public interest” in the case.

While speaking to Radio New Zealand‘s (RNZ) Mata podcast, the children’s mother, Cat, said, “[The children] have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.”