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'He was with me': Mom provides an 'alibi' for gunman who 'assassinated Texas deputy' in killing that police chief has blamed on anti-cop rhetoric promoted by Black Lives Matter
Darren Goforth was shot as he filled up his patrol car at a Texas gas station
Shannon J. Miles has been jailed and charged with the killing in Houston
Allegedly crept up on Goforth in unprovoked attack and started shooting
The 30-year-old's mother says he was with her at the time of the killing
By Julian Robinson for MailOnline and Kieran Corcoran For Dailymail.com
Published: 02:50 EST, 31 August 2015 | Updated: 12:31 EST, 31 August 2015
The mother of a man arrested over the killing of a Texas sheriff's deputy insists her son could not have done it - because he was shopping with her at the time.
Darren Goforth, of the Harris County Sheriff's Office, was shot dead in a 'cold-blooded execution' as he filled up his patrol car at a Houston gas station Friday evening.
Shannon J. Miles, whose lengthy criminal history includes firearms offenses, has been jailed and charged with capital murder.
But Miles' mother has claimed her 30-year-old son cannot have carried out the killing because they were out on a shopping trip together when the shooting unfolded.
Killed: Goforth, 47, was gunned down from behind as he filled his patrol car with gas Friday night (left). Shannon J Miles (right) was arrested and is now facing capital murder charges
She is quoted by KPRC as saying: 'We got back, we couldn't get on our street. So after we couldn't get on our street, when we came back, the back way to our house and then that's when we (were) faced with SWAT and dogs and cops and guns and they handcuffed him.'
Her comments come after 47-year-old Goforth's wife Kathleen praised her slain husband as an 'ethical', 'good' and 'fiercely loyal' man.
Mrs Goforth's statement, reported by NBC News, said: 'There are no words for this. My husband was an incredibly intricate blend of toughness and gentility.
'He was always loyal, fiercely so. He was ethical. The right thing to do is what guided his internal compass.'
'He was good. If people want to know what kind of man he was, this is it: He was who you wanted for a friend, a colleague and a neighbor.
'However, it was I who was blessed so richly, that I had the privilege of calling him my husband and my best friend.'
No motive has yet been suggested for the attack - which the sheriff's office suggested was an unprovoked act of violence.
'Capital murder': Miles, 30, has a long criminal history, including firearms offences. He is being held in Harris County Jail
In a press conference Saturday afternoon, Hickman said that the group had 'ramped up' public sentiment against officers like Goforth, helping create the conditions for the attack.
He said: 'Our system of justice absolutely requires law enforcement to be present to protect our community.
'So at any point where the rhetoric ramps up to the point where the calculated, cold-blooded assassination of police officers happens, this rhetoric has gotten out of control.
'We've heard black lives matter, all lives matter - well, cops' lives matter too. Why don't we just drop the qualifier and say "lives matter".'
A resume posted online suggests Miles attended Prairie View A&M University, the school where Sandra Bland was arrested following a traffic stop and alleged assault on a police officer in July.
'Out of control rhetoric': Harris County Sheriff Ron Hickman pointed the finger at the Black Lives Matter movement at a press conference Saturday
Miles has also held a number of jobs, including a stint as a kitchen cook at Burger King and a host at Whataburger.
Local station KTRK reported that Miles was taken into custody around 2.30am after the department was tipped off to a car similar to the killer's.
Deputies responded to the red pickup truck, a Ford Ranger, and questioned the man, but could not say whether the car was the same one seen in surveillance footage of the attack.
According to the sheriff's department, Goforth had stopped to fill up his cruiser after responding to a routine car accident, which is not believed to have any connection to his death.
Security footage, which has not been made public, captured the killing at a Chevron gas station around 8.30pm.
According to the sheriff's office, Miles walked up behind Goforth without saying anything and fired several shots at him from behind at point-blank ranged.
He allegedly kept shooting into his body after he had fallen to the ground, then drove off.
Scene: Goforth was killed at this Chevron gas station on Telge and West Road in suburban Houston
Goforth, who was assigned to the west district patrol of Harris County, leaves behind two children, aged five and twelve, as well as his wife.
A relative speaking to KTRK said that Goforth was the 'rock' of their family and that police work was 'his calling'.
Stephen Allison, Goforth's brother-in-law, said: 'It was his calling ... he wanted to spend his whole life in it once he got in it. ... He was kind of born for it.'
In his private life, Allison said Goforth was 'a good dad' 'a giving individual' and a 'rock' of the family.
A vigil for Goforth was held Saturday evening, while the gas pump at which he was shot dead was turned into a makeshift memorial covered with flowers and balloons.
Law enforcement and other emergency personnel, as well as members of the public, left tributes and messages at the site, while some also left donations.
The 100 Club, a Texas organization which supports families of emergency workers killed in the line of duty, said it would give the family $20,000 in immediate support, and more they continue to deal with the deputy's death.
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