Man sentenced to life in prison in San Marcos officer's death
Kenneth Copeland, 58, was serving an arrest warrant on charges of assault and injury to an elderly person on the afternoon of Dec. 4, 2017 when he was shot and kille
SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — A man has been found guilty of capital murder related to a San Marcos police officer's shooting death in 2017.
Stewart Thomas Mettz, 57, was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole, according to a news release from the Hays County District Attorney's Office.
Officer Kenneth Copeland, 58, was serving an arrest warrant on charges of assault and injury to an elderly person on the afternoon of Dec. 4, 2017, when he was shot and killed in what the police chief at the time characterized as "much like an ambush type situation."
Copeland was the first San Marcos police officer to be killed while on patrol in the department's history. Additionally, he was a military veteran and the father of four boys, the release said.
"It was an honor to be part of the team that was able to get justice for Ken," Assistant District Attorney Allison Buess said following the verdict.