By TANYA EISERER
The Dallas Morning News
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DALLAS, Tex. — A Dallas police sergeant fired a shot early Wednesday that hit an escaping thief’s vehicle after the thief apparently tried to steal the officer’s personal car.
Sgt. Juan Salas was asleep at his Old East Dallas home in the 5400 block of Bonita Avenue when he heard his dog barking about 4:20 a.m. Wednesday. According to a police report, Sgt. Salas told officers that stepped out onto his bedroom balcony and saw a vehicle parked in front of his house with the engine running.
The police sergeant then retrieved his service weapon and walked outside, startling the man. He told the thief to “get on the ground” but did not identify himself as a Dallas police officer, a police report said.
But the thief ran to his vehicle and jumped in, the report said.
Sgt. Salas told investigating officers that he saw the thief moving around inside as if he was trying to grab for something like a weapon. Sgt. Salas fired one shot, hitting the vehicle.
The thief then drove away.
Soon after, officers spotted a man believed to be the thief on foot, running from the area. He was arrested after a short foot chase.
The report said that man could not be positively identified as the man that broke into Sgt. Salas’ vehicle, but police were continuing to investigate.
Copyright 2007 The Dallas Morning News