PINE HILL, Alabama — Ernest Christopher Nathan, a 47-year-old Houston murder suspect who had been listed among Texas’ 10 Most Wanted fugitives, was killed during an attempted arrest by a U.S. Marshals Service task force in Marengo County, Alabama.
The shooting occurred at approximately 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in the 100 block of Ruby Drive in Pine Hill.
According to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, officers assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Task Force were executing an arrest warrant for Nathan when a task-force officer was struck by gunfire.
Task-force officers returned fire, fatally wounding Nathan. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The wounded officer was transported to a hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation is now conducting an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting.
What Happened to Ernest Christopher Nathan in Alabama?
ALEA said the U.S. Marshals Service requested assistance from its State Bureau of Investigation following the fatal encounter.
Officers with the Gulf Coast Regional Task Force went to a residence in the 100 block of Ruby Drive in Pine Hill to execute an arrest warrant for Nathan, who was wanted in Texas on a murder charge.
After officers arrived, a member of the task force was struck by gunfire.
Authorities said task-force officers responded by firing their weapons, striking Nathan. He died at the scene.
ALEA has not yet released a more detailed sequence explaining exactly where the gunfire originated, how many officers fired or how many shots were discharged.
The investigation remains active.
Ernest Christopher Nathan Case Data
| Detail | Confirmed Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Ernest Christopher Nathan |
| Age | 47 |
| Date of Birth | June 9, 1979 |
| Texas Connection | Houston / Harris County |
| Date of Death | September 22, 2026 |
| Location of Shooting | 100 block of Ruby Drive, Pine Hill, Alabama |
| County | Marengo County |
| Wanted For | Murder |
| Status Before Death | Texas 10 Most Wanted fugitive |
| Agency Serving Warrant | U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Task Force |
| Officer Injured | Yes |
| Officer’s Condition | Expected to make a full recovery |
| Nathan’s Death | Fatally wounded by return fire from task-force officers |
| Investigating Agency | Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Bureau of Investigation |
| Next Review | Marengo County District Attorney’s Office |
Texas Department of Public Safety records identify Nathan as a fugitive wanted for murder and describe him as armed and dangerous.
Why Was Ernest Nathan Wanted in Texas?
Nathan had been wanted out of Harris County since February 2024 on a murder case, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
His underlying criminal case dated back to a September 25, 2022 shooting in Houston.
Houston police said Nathan and a 32-year-old man were at a food truck at 9598 Main Street when an argument developed at approximately 2:20 a.m.
Investigators alleged that Nathan shot the man multiple times before leaving the scene. The victim was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital and later died from his injuries on September 29.
Nathan was identified as the suspect and arrested on October 4, 2022, after a vehicle pursuit.
He was charged with murder and felony evading arrest.
Those were criminal allegations; the Alabama shooting occurred before the murder case resulted in a final adjudication.
Nathan Was Released on Bond After 2022 Arrest
Texas DPS reported that Nathan was released on bond the day after his 2022 arrest.
By February 2024, he was wanted again in Harris County in connection with the murder case.
Texas authorities subsequently added Nathan to the state’s 10 Most Wanted fugitives program.
In October 2024, DPS selected him as its featured fugitive and temporarily increased the reward for information leading to his arrest to $6,000.
His fugitive profile listed connections to Houston as well as Georgia, Ohio and Louisiana.
Texas DPS Listed Nathan as Armed and Dangerous
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s fugitive record described Nathan as approximately 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, with tattoos on both arms and his back.
The agency listed his wanted offense as murder and documented a criminal history that included murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, battery of a pregnant person and possession of a firearm by a felon.
DPS explicitly warned that Nathan should be considered armed and dangerous.
His known aliases included Ernest Nathan, Chris Nathan and variations of Ernest Christopher Nathan.
Task Force Officer Wounded During Arrest Attempt
ALEA has confirmed that one officer assigned to the Gulf Coast Regional Task Force was struck by gunfire during the attempt to arrest Nathan.
The officer was transported to a local hospital.
Authorities said the officer is expected to make a full recovery.
Officials have not publicly released the officer’s name or detailed the nature of the injuries.
Although some reports describe the injured person as a U.S. Marshal, ALEA’s official release refers more broadly to an officer assigned to the Gulf Coast Regional Task Force and does not identify the officer’s employing agency.
Did Ernest Nathan Shoot the Officer?
ALEA’s official statement says that an officer was struck by gunfire after the task force arrived, followed by officers returning fire and fatally wounding Nathan.
Some local reports have characterized Nathan as having shot the officer, but the initial ALEA statement does not provide the detailed ballistic or investigative findings necessary to independently establish the complete shooting sequence.
Because the State Bureau of Investigation is still reviewing the incident, the most precise description is that an officer was struck by gunfire during the arrest operation and task-force officers then returned fire.
Ernest Christopher Nathan Cause of Death
Nathan was fatally wounded by gunfire from task-force officers during the confrontation and pronounced dead at the scene.
ALEA has confirmed the officer-involved shooting, but a separate detailed medical examiner report specifying Nathan’s formal medical cause and manner of death was not located in the information reviewed.
Accordingly, his death can reliably be described as resulting from the fatal officer-involved shooting, while any more specific autopsy findings should await the appropriate medical authority.
Alabama SBI Investigating Officer-Involved Shooting
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation is conducting the investigation at the request of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Such investigations typically examine evidence including:
- body-camera or other video,
- firearms and ballistic evidence,
- witness accounts,
- the warrant-service plan,
- the positioning of officers and the suspect,
- and the sequence of gunfire.
ALEA said no additional information would be released immediately while the investigation remains ongoing.
Once SBI completes its investigation, the findings will be turned over to the Marengo County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Pine Hill Shooting Draws Multi-State Attention
The incident connects an Alabama officer-involved shooting with a Texas murder investigation that had remained unresolved for several years.
Nathan had ties to multiple states and was being sought through Texas’ statewide fugitive program.
His eventual location in Pine Hill brought officers from the U.S. Marshals Service task force to the rural Marengo County community early Tuesday morning.
The operation ended with Nathan dead and one law-enforcement officer hospitalized.
What Happens Next?
The criminal case in which Nathan was wanted will no longer proceed against him following his death.
However, the officer-involved shooting itself remains subject to investigation.
ALEA investigators will compile their findings and submit them to prosecutors in Marengo County.
The review is expected to examine both the circumstances that led officers to the Ruby Drive location and the exchange of gunfire that followed.
Until that investigation is complete, additional claims about precisely who fired first, the number of shots fired or individual officers’ actions should not be treated as established unless authorities release supporting evidence.
Final Update on Ernest Christopher Nathan’s Death
As of September 24, 2026, authorities have confirmed that Texas fugitive Ernest Christopher Nathan, 47, was killed during a U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Task Force arrest operation in Pine Hill, Alabama.
The incident occurred at approximately 6 a.m. September 22 in the 100 block of Ruby Drive.
ALEA said a task-force officer was struck by gunfire after officers arrived to execute a murder warrant. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding Nathan, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The injured officer is expected to recover.
Nathan had been wanted in Harris County since February 2024 and was listed by Texas DPS as a 10 Most Wanted fugitive in connection with a Houston murder case.
The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation continues to investigate the shooting, and its findings will ultimately be sent to the Marengo County District Attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Ernest Christopher Nathan?
Ernest Christopher Nathan was a 47-year-old Houston man wanted in Harris County on a murder charge. Texas DPS had listed him among the state’s 10 Most Wanted fugitives.
When was Ernest Nathan killed?
He was killed on September 22, 2026, during an arrest operation in Pine Hill, Alabama.
Where did the shooting happen?
The shooting occurred in the 100 block of Ruby Drive in Pine Hill, Marengo County.
Why was Ernest Nathan wanted?
He was wanted in connection with a Houston murder case stemming from a September 2022 shooting outside a food truck on Main Street.
Was an officer injured?
Yes. A Gulf Coast Regional Task Force officer was struck by gunfire and hospitalized. Authorities expect the officer to make a full recovery.
Who killed Ernest Nathan?
ALEA says officers with the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Task Force returned fire during the incident, fatally wounding Nathan.
Who is investigating the shooting?
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s State Bureau of Investigation is handling the officer-involved shooting investigation at the request of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Disclaimer
This article is based on official information from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department and current Alabama reporting. Ernest Christopher Nathan had been charged with murder in Texas, but a criminal charge is an allegation and his case had not resulted in a final determination of guilt before his death. ALEA has confirmed that a task-force officer was struck by gunfire and that officers returned fire, killing Nathan. The complete sequence of the officer-involved shooting remains under investigation, and details not yet established by investigators have not been presented as fact.