2015-10-02 Dobbins
Officer-Involved Shooting – Matthew Ray Dobbins
Matthew Ray Dobbins, 29, was killed in an officer-involved shooting on Friday, October 2, 2015, at a home in the 14800 block of XIT Trail in Randall County, Texas. The Randall County Sheriff's Office and the Texas Rangers investigated the incident.
Incident
Randall County deputies responded to a burglary alarm at 4:43 p.m. on Friday at a home in the 14800 block of XIT Trail, according to Deputy Danny Alexander.
Deputies had set up a perimeter around the home after determining a man, later identified as Dobbins, was inside. Residents of the home, who were not inside at the time, told deputies there were guns inside.
At 5:24 p.m., the shooting occurred. The Randall County Sheriff's Office did not release details on what authorities thought caused the shooting.
Dobbins was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital, where he later died.
No officers were injured in the incident.
Deputies Involved
The names of the two deputies involved in the shooting were later released:
- Corporal Chase Ralston (with the Randall County Sheriff's Office for seven years)
- Deputy Blair Christian (also referred to as Cody Christian in some reports; with the office for four and a half years)
Both deputies were placed on administrative leave, which is the normal policy when any officer is involved in this type of situation.
Autopsy Results
A man killed in the officer-involved shooting died from a gunshot wound to the head, and his case was ruled a homicide, preliminary autopsy results showed.
Potter County Justice of the Peace Thomas Jones issued the ruling in the death of Matthew Ray Dobbins, 29. Dobbins also suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and buttocks—three shots total.
Investigation and Review
The case was presented to the Randall County District Attorney's Office and reviewed by a Grand Jury once the investigation was completed.
Deputy Danny Alexander declined to discuss details of the shooting, citing an ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers.
"This is not going to be tried in the press," Alexander said.
Grand Jury Decision
On October 27, 2015, a grand jury "no-billed" the case, meaning deputies Cody Christian and Chase Ralston were found to be legally justified to use deadly force against Matthew Dobbins, the burglary suspect.
The District Attorney announced that the Randall County officer-involved shooting was "justified."
Dobbins' Criminal History
Dobbins had been booked into Randall County Jail four times since 2004 on charges including:
- Drug possession
- Assault on a family member causing bodily injury
- Assault on a public servant
He was convicted in 2010 of assault on a public servant and felony assault and was sentenced to five years in prison, records showed.
Historical Context
Alexander said the last shooting involving Randall County sheriff's deputies occurred in 2005, when James Derek Taylor was shot while deputies were attempting to serve an arrest warrant. Taylor escaped and was apprehended hours later. He survived his injuries. The use of force was later found to be justified, Alexander said.