COLLEGE STATION, Texas — UPDATE: January 28
Texas DPS has released the names of its troopers who were involved in a fatal shooting during a traffic stop in College Station on January 21.
Trooper William Kettler has been with Texas DPS since 2009. Trooper Justin Ferguson has been with Texas DPS since 2011.
Kettler and Ferguson, along with College Station K9 Officer Matthew Nelson, opened fire on 33-year-old Ryan Stallings of College Station after he was pulled over on suspicion of driving while trafficking narcotics.
Stallings died at the scene.
Previous Story: January 27
The College Station Police Department has released new information into a fatal shooting that happened during a traffic stop on January 21. Ryan Stallings, 33, of College Station was shot and killed when police said he was reaching for a gun from his center console. Stallings' passenger, Celeste Perez, 26, also of College Station, was arrested at the scene and charged with five counts of manual possession of a controlled substance.
CSPD investigators have now released a step-by-step account of what they said happened that morning. Authorities said Stallings was the focus of a long-term narcotics investigation and they had put him and his vehicle under surveillance.
Investigators said officers pulled Stallings' car over in the 1300 block of Earl Rudder Freeway and Stallings pulled into a driveway of a business along the northbound feeder road near Harvey Road and University Drive. K9 Officer Matthew Newton, who had been with the College Station Police Department for the last eight years, was the officer who initiated the traffic stop. Investigators with the College Station Police Department's Special Investigations Unit and two troopers with the Texas DPS were also assisting in the surveillance, however, it appeared Stallings did not know the K9 officer had other support in the area.
Authorities said the traffic stop was initiated because it was believed Stallings had a large amount of drugs in the car. The officer met with Stallings and Perez, who told them to get out of the car. Investigators said Stallings told the officer he had a handgun in the center console. Investigators said Perez got out of the car but Stallings then "lunged" for the gun in the center console.
The two Texas DPS troopers, as well as the K9 officer fired at Stallings, who they said was now holding his gun. Investigators said Stallings was shot multiple times and died at the scene, despite paramedics trying to save his life.
Upon searching the car, investigators said they found 2.3 kilos of cocaine and one kilo of Ecstasy.
Authorities said Perez told investigators that she and Stallings drove from College Station drove to another Texas city for the intent to traffic the drugs in Brazos County. They said Perez had "intimate knowledge" of the subjects of the drug investigation and that's why authorities were able to secure a warrant to search the home Perez and Stallings shared.
The search of the home was done around 5 a.m. Thursday. While there, authorities said they found 400 grams of cocaine, 400 grams of Adderall and 400 grams of THC. The drugs found during the investigation are:
- 1.0 kilo of "Molly" or Ectasy
- 3.9 kilos of cocaine
- 8.7 kilos of Adderall, which is more than 21,000 pills
- .9 kilos Xanax, which is 4,505 pills
- .6 kilos of THC
- 61 cartridges of THC
- 2.1 kilos of marijuana
In total, the street value of the 17 kilos of drugs found is $452,800. Investigators said they also found $10,000 in cash.
Perez is currently in the Brazos County Jail on $442,000 bond. CSPD said the Texas Rangers and the Brazos County District Attorney's Office are working with the department on the investigation.