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Copperas Cove, Texas – A community is grieving the loss of a young police officer killed in the line of duty during a shooting Saturday, as state investigators work to determine exactly what happened.

The Copperas Cove Police Department identified the fallen officer as Officer Elijah Garretson. Garretson died following a shooting on Saturday night.

Details of the incident have not yet been released. The suspect took his own life.

Garretson had been with the department for less than seven months. He graduated from the Central Texas College Police Academy in June 2025 and joined the Copperas Cove Police Department shortly afterward. The department said he earned the Academic Award for graduating with the highest GPA in his academy class, a detail colleagues pointed to as a reflection of his discipline and commitment to the profession.

“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 loss,” CCPD said in a statement. “Out of respect for all those affected and the ongoing investigation, no further information is being released at this time.”

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