Gregory Newson has been sentenced to death for the murder of Deputy William Christopher Dickerson in Panola County, Texas. The incident occurred during a traffic stop on December 31, 2019, when Newson was traveling from Shreveport, Louisiana. He was found transporting marijuana, $5,500 in cash, and an illegally possessed AR-15 loaded with armor-piercing bullets.
Prosecutors argued that Newson killed Deputy Dickerson to avoid arrest for the contraband. During the traffic stop, Newson exited his vehicle and fired at the deputy multiple times. Despite being wounded, Deputy Dickerson returned fire and hit Newson in the legs before succumbing to his injuries.
Newson fled but was captured after a chase where he shot at other officers before crashing his car. He was apprehended approximately an hour later with the murder weapon and additional ammunition.
Charged with capital murder of a peace officer, a jury found Newson to be a continuing threat to society with no mitigating factors preventing a death sentence.
The prosecution team included Assistant Attorneys General Natalie Tise, Wesley Mau, and Matthew Ottoway from the Office of the Attorney General’s Criminal Prosecutions Division. They were supported by legal assistant Michael Roberts and Sergeant David Fugitt of the Criminal Investigations Division.