Two men charged in shooting of Texas Game Warden




Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting of a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden earlier this week. Booked into the Delta County jail in Cooper were Eli Stephens, 18, and Dalton Haddix, 21, both of Illinois. Stephens has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. Haddix was charged with failure to report a felony, a Class A misdemeanor. The two men, who came to Texas for the holidays, were taken into custody by game wardens Tuesday afternoon following an investigation by TPWD game wardens, Texas Rangers and the Delta County Sheriff's Office. The charges stem from the Sunday shooting of Game Warden Chris Fried, 31, of Cooper. Fried had been off duty and bow hunting on the Cooper Wildlife Management Area when the incident occurred around 6 p.m. The warden remains in stable condition in the intensive care unit of Parkland Hospital in Dallas, where he underwent surgery early Monday for a gunshot wound from a high-powered rifle bullet that entered his upper right shoulder and lodged in his chest. According to investigators, Fried had been sitting in a blind on the 14,160-acre wildlife management area, hoping to take a deer, when he saw a light and heard what he believed to be a electronic game call. Thinking someone might be illegally hunting on state property, the warden went into law enforcement mode and left his stand to investigate. Moments later, as he walked toward the light, Fried was struck by a bullet. The warden yelled, "You shot me!" but no one responded or came to his aid. Fried then used his cell phone to call for help. Investigators have determined that the shot came from private property adjacent to the WMA. Information from a Delta County resident familiar with the area led wardens to the two defendants.




Tell us what you think!

Beacon Hill at Cedar Creek Lake

Cedar Creek Lake Email Updates


 

Visit our Cedar Creek Lake Sponsors!

Cedar Creek Lake on Social Media

 
       

Cedar Creek Lake Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Cedar Creek Lake Weather Forecast

Wednesday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 78

Wednesday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 67

Thursday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 81

Thursday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 70

Friday

Rain Showers

Hi: 77

Friday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 69

Saturday

Chance Thunderstorms

Hi: 83

Saturday Night

Chance Thunderstorms

Lo: 71


Cedar Creek Lake Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 4/24: 322.35 (+0.35)



Cedar Creek Lake

Fishing Report from TPWD (Apr. 24)

EXCELLENT. Slightly stained; 70 degrees; 0.40 feet above pool. Hybrid striped bass and white bass have made a full recovery from the spawn and are now back in the main lake in droves and are on a feeding frenzy. Look for heavy bird activity throughout the lake on flats and near the dam on edges of drop offs especially on cloudy and overcast days. The Hybrids and Whitebass have started schooling in water from 6-14 feet at the dam and any wind blown shallow point or seawall. Late evening schooling action is also happening in shallow coves and points throughout the lake. Reports of great catches using silver or white slabs and spinnerbaits and retrieving off the bottom at a very slow retrieve to catch these fish in depths of 8-16 feet of water. The crappie have also migrated back into the main lake. Look for them under bridge pylons or under docks where the depths are between 3-10 feet. Guides have been reporting exceptionally nice catches on sunny warmer days. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service.

More Fishing Reports