Man fatally shot by police during attempted apartment break-in had replica gun, was in U.S. illegally, Dallas police say
DALLAS – The man who was fatally shot by Dallas police during an attempted apartment break-in on Saturday had a replica firearm and was in the U.S. illegally, according to police.
It happened Saturday night around 8 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 3100 block of Norwalk Avenue in Northwest Dallas.
On Tuesday, Dallas police released bodycam footage and a 911 call from the attempted apartment break-in.
Police dispatch received a 911 call from a resident of the apartment complex, who said they saw the man trying to get into an apartment with what looked like a handgun.
"I think he's under the influence, he was struggling to get upstairs," the resident said in the 911 call.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said the man was seen climbing on a balcony and tried opening a sliding door then returned to the front door with the gun. Garcia said the man's brother may have lived in the area but he didn't know anyone in the apartment.
Bodycam footage showed the responding officers approaching the man, putting their weapons up and yelling in English and Spanish for him to put his hands up.
The man then reached for his waistband. Officers yelled "No," and began to fire their weapons. After the man was shot multiple times, they ran up the stairs and handcuffed him while he was lying on the ground.
Police then asked the residents in the apartment if they were OK.
"This was obviously not the intended outcome," Garcia said.
The man has since been identified as someone Garcia said was arrested in 2023 for aggravated assault and was deported to Guatemala in May of this year.
"Obviously, he came back illegally," Garica said.
Garcia said they are waiting on the toxicology report to come back to determine if he was in fact under any influence.
