By Joanna Putman
Police1
DALLAS — The Dallas Police Department has released body camera footage of a man ramming cruisers in a stolen truck, leading to an officer-involved shooting, FOX 4 reported.
The incident occurred on July 25 while officers were conducting a traffic stop, according to the report. Officers were investigating the stolen pickup when the driver rammed a cruiser, forcing the front wheels of the pickup onto the cruiser’s hood.
As the truck rolled backward off of the cruiser, three suspects jumped from the vehicle as two shots were fired by an officer. One suspect fell to the ground beneath the truck and was nearly run over.
The other two suspects fled in different directions. Dash camera footage captured one of the suspects carrying a handgun. Officers pursued the suspects on foot.
Immediately after the ramming, one officer fired twice from inside a police car through a back window, striking a 17-year-old suspect, who was later detained and treated. Another officer pursued a 21-year-old suspect on foot, firing four shots at him. The suspect was not struck by the gunfire but was arrested.
The suspect who fell beneath the truck, who had outstanding warrants for capital murder, was found and arrested.
Chief Eddie Garcia emphasized at a press conference that although none of the suspects fired at officers, driving a vehicle toward officers constitutes aggravated assault.
“Officers weren’t going to wait until a masked individual with a firearm was going to turn on the officers and shoot first,” Garcia said. “The proper thing would have been done for the individual not to run out of the car, not to be armed and to have given up.”
Police recovered several stolen guns from the suspects, including one with a Glock switch and extended magazine, according to the report. Three of the four suspects are in custody.
“My 32 years of policing tell me that this was not just a joy ride,” Garcia said. “Someone is alive today, I fully believe, because of the actions of our men and women and the actions of our officers that day.”
Police are still searching for the fourth suspect, who remains unidentified, according to the report. No officers were injured in the incident.