DALLAS — Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia held a press conference regarding an officer who fatally shot a suspect after a struggle during an attempted robbery overnight Thursday.
Officers responded to an illegal game room at about 1 a.m. July 4 to reports of a robbery in progress at an illegal gaming room in the 2900 block of South Lancaster Road, Garcia said.
Surveillance video shows the suspect, 34-year-old Timothy Jefferson, and three other suspects round up people at gunpoint and force them inside the gaming room. Garcia said at least one person was pistol-whipped.
Jefferson stayed outside as the other three robbed the gaming room and people inside, Garcia said. A responding officer working undercover, Snr. Cpl. Ruben Martinez, responded to the scene. Surveillance footage shows him pull up outside and Jefferson point a handgun at him. After the two briefly point their guns at each other, Jefferson drops his as he approaches Martinez. Martinez tries to grab Jefferson to stop him from fleeing, and sees Jefferson appear to reach for his gun on the ground. Martinez then shoots Jefferson multiple times.
Because Martinez was undercover, he was not wearing his vest and body camera at the time, and did not have time to put them on before the altercation with Jefferson started. Garcia said Martinez put both on after he shot Jefferson.
"This type of event is never our intended outcome. But ultimately, here we are again because of the dangerous actions and choices of suspects wanted in our city," Garcia said. "We never want this to be the result or the outcome of any of our calls. This is a tragedy for the officer, it's a tragedy for the suspect's family and friends who may not have remembered the individual this way."
Jefferson had previously been charged with organized crime, aggravated robbery, burglary of a habitation, and was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2009 for a string of aggravated robberies.
The investigation is still ongoing. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office is conducting their own investigation and the Office of Community Police Oversight was also notified.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. Two other suspects who ran from the scene were arrested, police said. Police are still working to identify one remaining suspect who ran from the scene.
No officers were injured in the incident, police said.