Police Shoot & Kill Suspect Near Dallas Hotel
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - One person was killed late Wednesday night after a shooting involving police officers. The incident happened just before midnight in the parking lot behind the Grand Hotel, located along the LBJ Freeway, just west of Coit Road in north Dallas.
Police officials stated that two officers in a squad car were slowly patrolling the area, which is known to be high in crime. The two officers spotted a pickup truck that they believed was stolen. But when those officers approached the cab of the truck, police said, the person inside displayed a gun.
The officers fired at the suspect. "Multiple shots were fired," confirmed Maj. Jeff Cotner with the Dallas Police Department.
The officers were not injured. However, the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. The person's body was still inside of the pickup truck when CBS 11 News arrived, and the truck's back window was shattered.
"It's unclear whether the suspect's death was caused by the officers or himself," Cotner added. Detectives are now reviewing the dashboard camera video from the squad car and the hotel's surveillance video.
The Dallas County Medical Examiner later identified the victim as 52-year-old Terence Groessel, a registered sex offender from Garland. His past offenses include methamphetamine possession, delivery of marijuana, aggravated assault and sexual assault of a child.
The area where the shooting took place is targeted by police for criminal activity. They explained that stolen vehicles are often dumped in this area and drug transactions often take place. The truck was parked with its engine running when officers spotted it, but authorities have not confirmed if the vehicle was, in fact, stolen.
"But of course, I never like it when I've heard someone has died of something, but I'm glad they were around to be a force," said hotel guest Tommy Dorsey. "Hopefully justice was done."
This incident comes only hours after hundreds of people rallied peacefully in downtown Dallas, expressing concerns over a fatal shooting involving a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, and similar situations involving Dallas officers.
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