DALLAS — Dallas police dash camera video shows the moment officers saw a gunman identified as Juan Vicente Zavala Lopez shooting into a truck on Scyene Road.
“The officers turned into a nearby business parking lot with duty weapons draw and Zavala Lopez fired several times,” said Chief Eddie Garcia, Dallas Police Department.
You can hear officers command Zavala Lopez to get out of the car as shots are fired.
After officers exchanged gunfire, the video shows officers chased the suspect to Second Avenue, where police say Zavala Lopez flipped his truck around and fired more shots at officers.
You see him let go of the steering wheel and use both hands to shoot.
”Not only did he fire twice at these individuals or officers, he used two hands to shoot. So that means he was determined to strike, which he did, hitting one of our officers,” said Mike Mata, Dallas Police Association President.
Officer Derek Williams was hit. He was shot in the chest, but his bulletproof vest saved him.
It’s the ninth officer-involved shooting for DPD this year. In seven of those, DPD says officers were shot at first.
”It’s becoming more dangerous, not just to my officers here in Dallas, but in the country as well,” said Garcia.
Dallas police used technology to track the suspect to a house in Lewisville.
Police say Zavala Lopez had a gun in his hands. You can hear him begging police to shoot him.
The Dallas SWAT team was able to take him into custody. Police say he is an undocumented immigrant who had been previously deported nine times.
”I think that’s what should make the citizens of Dallas and of any community very concerned,” said Mata.
Garcia says his officers are lucky they were not injured or killed that day.