Grand Prairie Police Release Dash Cam Footage Of K-9 Takedown
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GRAND PRAIRIE (CBSDFW) - Grand Prairie Police released a video of one of their officers involved in a hostile situation with a suspect.
"When we show that level of restraint and training it's important," Police Chief Steve Dye said Monday, after releasing the video of an officer with weapon drawn confronting a suspect who also appears to be armed.
According to authorities, an officer attempted to pull over a man for a traffic violation near the 2400 block of W. Jefferson on January 20.
Authorities say the vehicle slowed down but then accelerated at a high rate of speed away from the officer.
K-9 specialist Jeff Payne chased the suspect's truck until its cornered in a cul de sac.
"He's got a gun," is yelled by an officer in the car recording the incident. Officer Payne exits his police SUV, draws his weapon as he sees the suspect turn and take a gunman's stand, and point what looks to be a weapon at the officer.
"I'm looking straight at his hands, and to me his hands look empty, like he had nothing in his hands," Payne explained.
The officer does not fire his gun. Instead, he releases his police dog Jurek on the suspect. The suspect has a flashlight and a small knife, but no gun.
"He would've been justified in shooting him, but when we show that level of restraint and training it's important," Chief Dye said.
The suspect jumped out of his truck and pointed what appears to be a weapon at the officer.
The officer and other responding officers get out of their vehicles with their weapons drawn, while ordering the suspect to put his weapon down.
The suspect is seen not obeying their orders when a K-9 leaps towards him and takes him down.
Officers rushed to the dog and the suspect and placed him under arrest.
According to Grand Prairie Police, the suspect was enticing the officers to shoot him, however, the K-9 officer was able to determine the suspect wasn't holding a firearm and that's when he deployed his K-9 partner to take down the suspect.
"He was able to identify, that while he had items in his hand, it was not a firearm. He was able to deploy his K-9 which helped take the suspect into custody," said Chief Dye. "There was no doubt the suspect wanted the officers to shoot him. The officers did not use that lethal force, due to the training they receive. The actions of the officers to use restraint when a suspect is baiting them to shoot him, is highly commendable."
Grand Prairie had one officer involved shooting in 2016. Officer Payne said he felt threatened, but the incident took on a slower pace in his mind.
"Even though I would have been justified, it would've been heavy on my heart having to shoot somebody that didn't have a weapon."
Grand Prairie police say they believe deadly force could have been used in this incident, but thanks to the responding officers high level of training and awareness, they were able to determine that wasn't necessary in this case.
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