DALLAS COUNTY, Texas — Farmers Branch Police Officer Michael Dunn, 47, has been found not guilty of murder by a Dallas County judge in the 2019 shooting death of a 35-year-old man.
The judge deliberated for about 25 minutes before coming to his conclusion in Dunn's murder trial. Dunn was indicted for shooting and killing Juan Moreno Jr. on June 12, 2019 in a northwest Dallas shopping center.
On Wednesday morning, Dunn took the stand in his own defense.
On the day of the shooting in 2019, Farmers Branch police were tracking a stolen vehicle they believe was connected to Moreno. During the stakeout, Moreno left a game room and went back to the pickup truck. Surveillance video shows Dunn drove up to make the arrest, then Moreno peeled out of the parking spot.
Within seconds, Officer Dunn fired his weapon three times. The truck crashed into parked vehicles. Moreno was killed.
Dunn faced a murder trial after a grand jury indicted him two weeks following the incident.
During his testimony on Wednesday, Dunn stated many times that he feared for his life.
“I immediately was scared for my life. I felt like where I was standing at that point on my left side driver door, I was directly in the path of Mr. Moreno,” Dunn said. “He was intently looking at me and very angry face.”
Surveillance video played throughout the trial showed black smoke rising as Moreno sped out.
“There was a lot of black smoke that was coming out of the exhaust. You know the term is called a black out,” said Dunn.
Dunn testified that he was focused mostly on the front left tires of the vehicle that Moreno was driving.
He said, “Those wheels were turned directly toward me. I had to do something.”
Dunn claimed he was protecting himself, his fellow officers and civilians in the parking lot that day. He said there were no other officers or people in his line of fire.
As a result of the incident, Dunn said he injured his back and knee, receiving four surgeries.
Dunn confirmed during the testimony that he encountered Moreno the week prior when they had a “fatherly conversation.” Moreno was known within the Farmers Branch Police Department in connection to stolen trucks.
During cross examination, the prosecutor pushed on the fact that Dunn didn’t activate his body-worn camera.
At the time of the shooting, the body-worn cameras at Farmers Branch did not automatically turn on, so the incident wasn’t recorded from Dunn’s point of view.
“It was just a mistake at that point. I owned it,” Dunn said.
The prosecutor said by shooting and killing Moreno, Dunn put others in jeopardy, as Moreno’s car ultimately crashed into other parked cars.
“I didn’t put myself in the path of the vehicle. He drove towards me,” Dunn replied.
Following his testimony, both the state and defense rested their cases and presented closing arguments. The judge went immediately into deliberations around 1:40 p.m.
According to Farmers Branch Police Department, Dunn is on administrative leave.
"An officer-involved shooting is one of the most difficult situations faced by a police department, and any incident involving deadly force and the loss of life is tragic regardless of the circumstances. Our Department values every human life and works diligently to avoid using deadly force at all times. On behalf of the entire Farmers Branch Police Department, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the Moreno family for the loss of their loved one on the evening of June 12, 2019," a statement from Farmers Branch police chief Kevin McCoy reads. "Now that Officer Dunn’s criminal trial has concluded, the Department’s Internal Affairs Division will move forward with a separate investigation regarding the same incident. Officer Dunn has been on administrative leave since the incident in 2019, and will remain on leave pending the outcome of the internal review process. The purpose in this and every investigation conducted by the Farmers Branch Police Department is to act with integrity and transparency in our constant effort to maintain the trust of the public we serve."
James P. Roberts, the attorney for Moreno's family in the civil case, gave WFAA the following statement in response to the acquittal:
"The acquittal in the criminal case is disappointing for the family and all of those who have seen the video and know the facts in this case. However, the criminal case and the civil case have different standards and burdens of proof. We do not believe justice was achieved in the criminal case and will continue to pursue justice for the family in our civil lawsuit."
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