A jury has found Dabrett Black guilty of capital murder for the killing of DPS Trooper Damon Allen in Freestone County on Thanksgiving Day in 2017.

Allen, 41, of Teague, Texas, was killed while he was sitting in his patrol unit when the driver of a car he pulled over for speeding on I-45 south of Fairfield opened fire with a rifle, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Black is now sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The death penalty was taken off the table in exchange for waiving an insanity defense.

Black’s defense spent the week highlighting his mental health, stating he was acting out of self-defense after feeling threatened by the trooper. He suffers from PTSD, a traumatic brain injury, and Schizophrenia, the defense said this impacted his behavior.

Attorneys on both sides addressed the jury during closing arguments Thursday morning.

Freestone County District Attorney Brian Evans spoke first, taking the jury through the evidence in the case.

Defense Attorney Susan Anderson spoke about Black’s mindset, the horrors he saw in war and how he acted in self-defense by feeling threatened when a second trooper was coming for backup during the traffic stop on I-45.

Lastly, Prosecutor Lisa Tanner told the jury they are bound by their oath to find him guilty. She showed the jury still images of Black pointing his rifle at Trooper Allen’s patrol vehicle, as well as at a Waller County Deputy after fleeing law enforcement.

The jury was also shown video of Black crashing into a Smith County Deputy’s patrol car in July 2017 during another chase. Tanner argued Black turned his vehicle into a weapon.

Written By: Clay Falls for KBTX Bryan, Texas