Officer Shoots, Kills Machete-Wielding Suspect In Garland
UPDATE: On Wednesday, Garland Police identified the suspect as Shaun Leo Gates, 40 of Garland.
GARLAND, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A man with a pair of machetes was shot and killed by a Garland Police officer Tuesday.
No officers were hurt.
It happened around 2:00 p.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of I-30 at the Bass Pro Drive exit.
Garland Police received multiple reports of a man with no shirt seen swinging two large knives and striking passing cars.
Witness Alex Williams, who was in a building near where this was happening, shared cell phone video of the man shortly before he was shot and killed.
Responding officers found the man in a parking lot. He began to walk towards the officers with the knives.
Garland Police said officers gave loud verbal directions for the subject to stop and drop the knives. The commands were ignored and the subject continued to march towards the officers.
One of the officers, a 27-year veteran, fired his gun and struck the subject.
Garland homicide detectives, along with members of the Dallas County District Attorney's Office Public Integrity Unit are investigating.
The officer will be placed on paid administrative leave which is routine when an officer shoots someone.
The identity of the suspect has not yet been released.
A woman who answered the phone at the Lavender Spa and Massage said the suspect made a lot of noise banging on windows, someone called police and and officer ultimately shot him.
The suspect was never inside the business. At this point, no one knows why he was there.
"I don't know if there's any connection the businesses whatsoever. Everything occurred outside this location. It started in the parking lot and ended up in the street," said Lt. Pedro Barineau with Garland Police.
Brittany Roma and Lucy Bernal were working in their office when they knew something had happened.
"We saw people running that way and we walked outside, saw ambulances and cars pull up. We saw the body lying there," said Brittany Roma.
"Alarming. Very alarming. I don't feel this is a safe place anymore," said Lucy Bernal, who works nearby.
