CARTHAGE, Texas — On December 31, 2019, 47-year-old Gregory Newson, allegedly shot and killed Panola County Deputy Chris Dickerson during a traffic stop on Farm-to-Market Road 10 in Gary.
CBS 19 looked into the criminal history of Gregory Newson and found a lengthy rap sheet with a number of arrests and convictions for drugs and other charges.
Newson was first arrested as an adult in 1989 when he was 17 years old for possession of cocaine. Newson pleaded guilty the next year and was sentenced to three years in prison. However, his sentence was suspended, and he ended up with five years probation.
Two years later in 1991, he was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting an officer. In 1992, he was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Newson’s probation from his previous drug charge was revoked and he was sentenced to spend three years. Yet that same year, he was released from jail.
Newson was accused of attempted armed robbery in Caddo Parish in 1993. However, two years later the case was dismissed though, and he was released once more in 1996.
According to public records, Newson moved to Mississippi and Tennessee shortly after the case was dismissed.
His next arrest was in Shelby County, Tennessee in 2006 for driving under the influence, possession of cocaine w/intent to manufacturing/sell/deliver, possession of handgun while intoxicated, refusal to submit to blood alcohol content (BAC) test and unlawful possession of weapon.
Newson was back in the Caddo Parish Jail in 2011 on charges of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. In 2012, he would plead guilty, but his sentence was suspended to six months of supervised probation.
The newest charges facing Newson in Louisiana include out of state fugitive and a felony charge of aggravated flight from an officer.
Now, Newson is back behind bars, facing a capital murder charge for the death of Deputy Chris Dickerson. If convicted, Newson could face the death penalty.
He remains in the Caddo Parish Correctional Center in Shreveport awaiting extradition back to Panola County.
REMEMBERING CHRIS DICKERSON
The East Texas 100 Club is collecting monetary donations for the family Deputy Dickerson.
The organization, which is supported by East Texas police chiefs and sheriffs and was founded by the East Texas Police Chiefs Association and local sheriffs, gives 100% of funds raised to support the families of those killed in the line of duty.
To donate, click here.