Livingston, TX — A Shreveport, Louisiana, man has been condemned to death following his capital murder conviction during a grim incident involving the killing of an East Texas law enforcement officer. At 52, Gregory Dewayne Newson now faces execution by lethal injection, though a date has not yet been scheduled. His automatic appeal remains pending.
In November, a Longview, Texas, court handed down Newson’s sentence for the murder of Panola County Sheriff’s Deputy William Christopher “Chris” Dickerson, which occurred during a routine traffic stop in the early hours of December 31, 2019.
The confrontation that led to Deputy Dickerson’s death began when he pulled over Newson’s vehicle around 1:57 a.m. on Farm-to-Market Road 10 near Gary, Texas. What seemed a typical traffic stop quickly escalated to violence when Newson, armed and determined not to be arrested, opened fire, fatally wounding Dickerson.
According to Texas authorities, at the time of the shooting, Newson was transporting marijuana, $5,500 in cash, and an AR-15 rifle equipped with a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with armor-piercing rounds across state lines from Shreveport.
After the shooting, Newson fled back to Louisiana. His flight from justice ended after a high-speed chase on Interstate 20 when law enforcement officers forced his Chevrolet Tahoe off the road. Newson was captured with the murder weapon, additional ammunition, drugs, and cash still in his possession.
Newson’s trial revealed a calculated act of violence with the intent to evade arrest for his illicit cargo. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton commented on the case following the guilty verdict, highlighting the jury’s agreement on Newson’s ongoing threat to public safety and lack of mitigating circumstances that would argue against the death penalty.
This tragic case has brought renewed attention to the dangers faced by law enforcement officers conducting routine duties such as traffic stops. Moreover, the presence of illegal firearms and the ease with which they are trafficked across state lines add layers of risk to these interactions.
The law enforcement community and broader public alike await further developments as Newson’s case proceeds through appeals. His fate remains a poignant reminder of the deadly intersections of crime, violence, and law enforcement in America.