Dallas police release video of officer shooting that killed capital murder suspect
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Dallas police officers had 18-year-old capital murder suspect, Joey Fraire, surrounded Wednesday when they saw he was armed.
"Gun. Gun in the hand. Gun in the right hand," an officer announces over the radio in video of the deadly shooting released Friday by the Dallas Police Department.
Police had spotted Fraire, a suspect in a murder out of Farmer's Branch, in the passenger seat of a car, followed him for an hour and then confronted him in the parking lot of the Bahama Glen Apartments.
The driver surrendered, but flash bangs and pepper ball rounds had failed to force Fraire out of the car.
When he finally emerged, the department says he pointed his gun at officers at fired at least two shots.
At points in the video captured by police worn cameras, you can see Fraire holding the gun.
For twenty seconds, you can also hear how police fired back.
Six officers, the department reports, shot approximately 57 times.
"Each individual officer that was there felt fear for their lives. We had an individual wanted for capital murder that was involved in the murder of an innocent resident of the city of Farmers Branch who was given every opportunity to surrender peacefully," Chief Eddie Garcia said at a press conference.
Garcia says one shot fired by the suspect hit Officer Joshua Gonzalez in the foot.
Fraire's gun was recovered near him.
A second gun found in the car, Garcia says, had a Glock switch allowing it to operate as a fully automatic weapon.
"Had the Glock switch weapon been used this individual had access to I think it would have been a lot worse," he said.
Police video shows officers from the department's fugitive unit rushing to try to stop Faire's bleeding.
He ultimately died at the hospital.
"We don't want this outcome. But unfortunately suspect Fraire's decision to fire on police officers is what led to this outcome," said Garcia.
As part of the investigation that occurs after any police shooting, the department will examine each officers' actions, including the decision to confront Fraire at an apartment complex.
Chief Garcia, though, said the circumstances are clearly very different from those in the police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, inspiring a protest outside police headquarters Friday evening.