Dallas Police Release Video Prior To Shooting Of Armed Robbery Suspect
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - New video released by the Dallas Police Department shows the minutes leading up to the fatal shooting of a man Monday afternoon, April 19, along the LBJ Freeway.
Dallas Police say they received five reports within a three-hour span of a man with a gun.
In each case, they believe the culprit was Edgar Luis Tirado, 28.
The first call came from a Fiesta, where employees say a thief pointed a handgun at them when confronted.
Minutes later, officers heard a similar account from employees at a nearby El Rancho grocery store.
Then came a call about a man being carjacked near a school parking lot.
Officers say they first caught up to Tirado a mile away from that scene, where a picture shows him holding what appears to be a gun.
"The officers did not discharge their firearms because they saw people and cars in the background behind Mr Tirado," said Deputy Chief Terrence Rhodes in a video the department posted online.
Tirado, police say, escaped and was able to rob a CVS.
A final 911 call led police to the LBJ Freeway.
Video from a police helicopter shows Tirado crossing lanes of traffic, jumping over barriers and running in front of cars. At one point, he can be seen walking with an arm outstretched holding an apparent gun.
An officer's body camera captured the sound of shots fired.
Police say Tirado was struck at least twice and later died.
The weapon he was holding, they discovered, was a replica of a gun.
The department says it released videos of the shooting in an effort to be transparent with the public they serve.