DALLAS — An 18-year-old capital murder suspect died after a shootout with Dallas officers who were serving a warrant for his arrest, police said on Jan. 25.
A Dallas officer was shot during the incident but was treated and later released from a local hospital, police said.
During a news conference, a Dallas police spokesperson said the department's fugitive unit was serving a warrant around 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, at an apartment complex on Bahama Drive, near Hampton Road and Fort Worth Avenue.
Police said the officers located the vehicle in question as it pulled into the apartment complex.
According to police, the preliminary investigation shows that the officers issued commands for the driver and the passenger, who was the suspect, to exit the vehicle.
Police said the driver left the vehicle and was taken into custody. The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Joey Fraire, stayed inside and proceeded to fire shots at the officers, police said.
Officers returned fire, striking Fraire an unknown number of times, police said.
The precise circumstances leading up to the gunfire are being reviewed, which is protocol.
An officer was also hit in the foot by a bullet during the shootout, according to police.
Both the officer and suspect were transported to a hospital. The officer was treated and released Thursday.
Fraire was initially listed in critical condition, but police confirmed he later died from his injuries.
"This was a high-risk apprehension which is what our fugitive unit does... this was a capital murder suspect," police spokesperson Kristin Lowman said.
Police would only say that the capital murder incident was not a Dallas case and was in the North Texas area.
Residents at the apartment complex told WFAA that they heard dozens of gunshots at the time of the incident.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia addressed the media about this incident on Friday, Jan. 27. Garcia and DPD released the body-worn camera footage from the shooting:
"We don't want this outcome. But unfortunately suspect Fraire's decision to fire upon police officers is what led to this ultimate outcome. had he surrendered just like the driver did we wouldn't be here today," said Garcia during the press conference.
Garcia says they recovered the suspect's 9mm handgun. And found another in the car, a Glock that was modified for automatic fire.
"It's an unfortunate loss of life, but we're fortunate we also didn't lose a Dallas Police officer in this instance," said Garcia.