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Deputy, Nurse In Right Place To Help TX Deputy Shot By Ebel

FORT WORTH, Texas (CBS4)- A deputy who was shot by a Colorado murder suspect and prison parolee last week got help from another deputy and his mother, who is a nurse; they just happened to be in the area.

David Blankenship is a deputy with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office in Texas. He was nearby when Deputy James Boyd had pulled over Evan Ebel who then opened fire.

"I just asked him if he knew what had happened to him. And he said that he had been shot," said Blankenship.

Blankenship was with his mother, Billie Shaw, who is also a nurse.

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Deputy James Boyd (credit: CBS)

"When I approached and saw that he was injured, David handed me his jacket because we didn't have anything else to use and I applied pressure to his head," said Shaw.

"Seeing what they did being able to stop him from hurting anybody else, obviously we know there are possible links to other potential crimes. I'm extremely proud that it ended the way it did," said Blankenship.

Ebel, a known white supremacist and parolee from Colorado has since been connected to the murder of Tom Clements, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections. He was gunned down at his home in Monument on Tuesday night.

Shells found at the shootout scene in Texas were of the same 9mm type as those discovered at Clements' home. A Domino's pizza uniform and pizza carrier in the trunk of the Cadillac Ebel was driving link him to the murder of Nathan Leon, a pizza delivery man who was found murdered March 17.

On Jan. 31 in Kaufman County, Texas a prosecutor was shot to death outside the courthouse. The victim had worked on cases involving white supremacists, raising the question if the gang is waging a war on law enforcement.

Former Special FBI Agent-In-Charge of the Dallas office Danny Defenbaugh said that is something that will be investigated.

"They are extremely organized. Those individuals or groups who have taken it upon themselves to show that type of hatred, then they should be investigated," said Defenbaugh.

Investigators also will try to determine if Ebel had contacts in Texas and perhaps a safe house waiting for him there before he was shot and killed.

Results of ballistic tests should be back this week which should verify if the gun used by Ebel in Texas was also used to kill Clements and Leon in Colorado.

Ebel's father, Jack Ebel, released this statement on Saturday, "I am profounding saddened by the most recent events involving my son, Evan Ebel and offer my most sincere condolences to all of those individuals and families who have suffered from his actions. I ask for privacy for me and my family during this time as we grieve for the loss of life that has occurred and for all of those affected."

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Jack Ebel with son Evan Ebel (credit: CBS)

A private memorial service for Clement is Sunday. A public memorial is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

A memorial for Leon is scheduled for Wednesday.

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