Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland led police on a high-speed chase exceeding 145 mph on November 5, 2025, before crashing his vehicle and fleeing on foot, only to be found deceased hours later from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An empty holster was recovered from his car, adding to the tragic circumstances of his death.
The incident began around 10:30 p.m. on November 5 when Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Preston Hagaman spotted Kneeland’s black Dodge Charger on the Dallas North Tollway near Frankford Road. The trooper observed Kneeland making unsafe lane changes and accelerating to speeds higher than 145 mph as he passed other vehicles. Hagaman initiated a pursuit with lights and siren but lost sight of the Charger near Lebanon Road, prompting him to end the chase and request surveillance assistance from the North Texas Tollway Authority.
Shortly after, Kneeland’s vehicle was located heading southbound on Dallas Parkway, where it collided with another vehicle, lost control, and crashed into a grassy field. The driver of the other vehicle, a woman in an F-250 pickup truck, reported being physically unharmed but shaken, noting that Kneeland came ‘out of nowhere’ and hit her hard. She declined medical treatment at the scene, with officers remarking that she was lucky to be in a larger vehicle that likely saved her from serious injury.
After the crash, Kneeland fled on foot towards several businesses, as captured by traffic cameras and body-worn camera footage. He was seen running from the scene, briefly returning to his car, and then fleeing again. Police responded quickly but missed him by less than 30 seconds, leading to an intensive search involving drones with thermal sensors and cell phone geolocation pings to track his movements.
The search lasted about an hour and a half, with officers receiving information from the NFL that Kneeland had sent text messages to his family saying goodbye, indicating a potential suicide risk. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on November 6, law enforcement found Kneeland’s body in a portable restroom, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. An empty holster was discovered in his Charger, suggesting he may have been armed during the incident.
Marshawn Kneeland was a 24-year-old defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys, selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft from Western Michigan University. In his nearly two-season career, he played in 18 games with four starts, recording 26 tackles and one sack. His final game was just days before his death, where he scored his first NFL touchdown by recovering a blocked punt in the end zone against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Background reports indicate that Kneeland had been the subject of welfare checks during his time at Western Michigan, though details were not fully disclosed. His girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, is pregnant, and a memorial fund has been established by his family and management team to support her and their unborn child. The Cowboys organization and fans have mourned his loss, holding moments of silence in subsequent games.
The release of incident reports and footage on November 21, 2025, has shed new light on the events leading to Kneeland’s death, highlighting the chaotic police response and the tragic outcome. Investigations are ongoing, and the story continues to develop as more details emerge from the reviewed materials.
