DALLAS — A Dallas police officer fired four shots after mistaking an undercover officer for a suspect during the arrest of a man accused of vehicle theft, the department stated.
Officers responded to a business on Aug. 6 after a man allegedly threatened the child and ordered her out of the Porsche. The girl escaped into the business and alerted her mother. Police said the man then threatened the mother before stealing the Porsche and fleeing.
| DOWNLOAD: The Promotion Playbook: Real tools for women in law enforcement
Investigators used location information from the Porsche’s tracking system to find the vehicle about an hour later.
During the felony traffic stop, a covert officer positioned his unmarked vehicle in front of the Porsche to prevent the suspect from fleeing. The officer exited the vehicle with his department-issued handgun drawn and moved toward a nearby residential yard.
As the covert officer moved toward the yard, Officer Celso Rocha fired four rounds toward him and the suspect.
“Blue, blue, blue,” another officer shouted from a distance. Rocha repeated the call and stopped firing, the video shows.
No officers, suspects or members of the public were injured. The suspect surrendered and was arrested.
Investigators recovered a loaded handgun from the Porsche and said evidence from the vehicle is being examined in connection with other violent crime investigations.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux addressed the shooting at an Aug. 10 news conference, describing the close call as “something you never want to have” and attributing it to a lapse in judgment during a high-stress encounter.
“When you talk about a ‘blue on blue’ shooting, it’s unfortunate,” Comeaux said. “It happened. It’s something we’re going to get better at.”
The suspect faces charges of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. Additional charges are possible.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation.
