The pursuit of Dallas Cowboys player Marshawn Kneeland escalated dramatically, reaching speeds of up to 160 mph. As state troopers engaged in a frantic hunt, they fired pepper balls into a drainage tunnel and deployed K-9s and drones in their search. Tragically, Kneeland was later found deceased, having taken his own life, as evidenced by dashcam footage.
New details have emerged indicating that police officers located Kneeland’s girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, in a vehicle registered to him. Officers, it seems, handcuffed her and placed her in the back of a patrol car before her release. This information was reported by local news.
Kneeland, only 24 years old, was discovered dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the early hours of November 6, just hours after a high-speed chase that began with a traffic stop in a Dallas suburb.
Initially, authorities were unaware that Kneeland was the driver they were tracking that evening, mistakenly thinking the car was stolen.
After the vehicle crashed, the identity of the driver was confirmed following an extensive search.
Friends and family were understandably anxious about Kneeland’s well-being, having received troubling messages from him indicating he might harm himself.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) noted that officers began chasing Kneeland around 10:33 p.m. on November 5, observing him driving a Dodge Charger on the Dallas North Tollway.
While officers stated that his car reached over 145 mph, some body camera footage suggested it may have peaked at an astonishing 160 mph.
It wasn’t long before they lost sight of the Charger, which was later located after it collided with a Ford F-350, ending up on the grass beside a toll road in Frisco, an area known for its mix of businesses and residences.
A woman whose truck was struck appeared visibly shaken, sharing her experience with officers. She recalled, “I saw him coming at me in the rearview mirror as fast as he was, and I thought, ‘Oh my god, he’s not stopping and he’s just running into me.'”
The driver abandoned the vehicle but left behind an empty holster inside, leading authorities to believe he was armed.
At this point, officers still hadn’t identified the suspect, thinking at first that the vehicle might have been stolen.
During the search, an officer encountered a man who reported seeing the suspect flee into a nearby field. When the officer jumped into the man’s vehicle to go look for Kneeland, he found no trace of him.
By about 11:20 p.m., both DPS and local police were looking for Kneeland in a wooded area and drainage tunnels nearby. An officer warned anyone inside the tunnel that a police dog would be sent in if they did not respond, giving them a last chance to come out.
Authorities then used pepper balls and drones in their search, but Kneeland was not located in the tunnels.
Eventually, by around 1 a.m., they identified Kneeland as the driver of the Charger and briefly detained Mancera, though no charges were brought against her. She had gone to the search area but didn’t first disclose her relationship with Kneeland.
A police officer noted, “My girlfriend knows where he is, but she won’t tell us… She’s like, ‘He’s going to kill himself. I can’t say where he is.'”
At the police station, Mancera attempted to contact Kneeland. Other footage revealed officers discussing Kneeland’s professional background and the concerning messages he had sent to his family.
The search concluded after about half an hour, with Kneeland’s body unexpectedly discovered inside a portable toilet.
Mancera took to Facebook to express her sorrow, stating that she still expected him to walk through the door. She expressed, “My sweet son is truly gone. All I wanted to do was hug you again and tell you how much you meant to me…”
The Cowboys organization has set up a memorial fund to support Mancera, who is expecting their child.
–With AP
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