Police Associations Accuse Dallas County DA Of Politicizing Officer-Involved Shooting
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The largest police association in the state is accusing the Dallas County district attorney of politicizing a police-involved shooting.
That shooting involved in Mesquite Police officer who has been fired and indicted after shooting an unarmed man he thought was breaking into a car that actually belonged to the suspect.
The Dallas County DA's office calls these accusations by police groups an effort to influence the jury pool in a case it's about to go to trial.
A fired and indicted officer has law enforcement associations coming to his aid saying he's being railroaded for a police shooting that was justified.
The leader of the Mesquite Police Association spoke out Thursday with other law-enforcement groups in support of Indicted Mesquite Former Mesquite Officer Derik Wiley.
It was November 2017 when Wiley encountered a Lyndo Jones in a vehicle with a security alarm going off.
The officer thought he was witnessing a car break-in.
During a physical confrontation the officer shot the Jones twice, who survived, only to find out later the vehicle belonged to the suspect, Jones.
Police groups say unreleased body cam video and other evidence will clear the officer and accuse Dallas County DA Faith Johnson of pursuing the case despite weak evidence to appease civil rights groups.
"This officer did nothing wrong," said Charley Wilkison of Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas. "(He) did everything right, followed his training protect the community protect the piece he needs to be cleared and put back to work. It was a mistake for the Mesquite Police to fire him."
The Dallas County DA's office released a statement accusing the two police groups of trying to taint the jury pool before the upcoming trial.
"It is highly unfortunate that during their press conference, C.L.E.A.T. and the MPOA stated inaccurate information, especially so close to trial, potentially prejudicing the very jury pool that we ask to be fair and impartial and to base their verdict on accurate facts presented in a courtroom. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office's only motive is to seek justice on behalf of all Dallas County citizens. We remain committed to presenting this case to a Dallas County jury and letting them decide if the defendant is guilty or not."
Both prosecutors and the officers attorneys have body cam footage from the incident but will not release it.
The indicted officer also criticized the chief who fired him.
