Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The 35-year-old man who fired at Dallas police officers during a March 19 incident in East Dallas was carrying large amounts of cash and drugs, Chief Eddie Garcia said at a press conference Wednesday.
Senior Corporal Matthew McLain received a tip from the manager of an apartment at 1910 Bennett Ave., who said a man they believed to have been involved in a stolen vehicle case was at the building. In the stolen vehicle case, which occurred earlier in March, a suspect ran into a marked police car.
McLain and Officer Kimberley Esquivel entered the front of the building and walked out to the parking lot in the back, where they found 35-year-old Hernan Gutierrez.
McLain began giving commands, but Gutierrez pulled away. During the struggle, McLain used his taser, but it was ineffective.
McLain announced Gutierrez was reaching for a gun. Within seconds of removing a gun from his jacket pocket, Gutierrez shot one round. Seconds later, Esquivel fired once at Gutierrez.
Gutierrez fell on top of his gun, and officers were able to place handcuffs on him.
“The decision Officer Esquivel made in the face of evil saved lives on Sunday,” Garcia said. “She saved the life of her partner, her own and protected those we swore to serve who are simply going about their day at home.”
Detectives later found the bullet in an occupied apartment nearby; no one in the apartment was injured, and no officers were injured. Gutierrez is still in critical but stable condition, Garcia said.
He will be charged with aggravated assault on a public servant, and more charges are possible, Garcia said. The Dallas Police Special Investigations Unit and the Dallas County District Attorney are investigating; the Office of Community Police Oversight has been notified.
Initial alerts from department said Gutierrez pulled a gun on officers, but they did not say he fired the weapon.
At the press conference, Garcia said Gutierrez was on federal probation for possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance, and there was an active warrant for a weapons charge. His criminal history includes driving while intoxicated, drug charges and two kidnapping convictions.
He had cut off an an ankle monitor in August 2022, shortly before he was due to appear in court, Garcia said.
“Same old story,” Garcia said. “The ankle monitors do not work for these individuals.”
Gutierrez had keys to a car parked in the lot where the incident occurred. In his backpack, officers found “large amounts” of powder cocaine, black tar heroin, methamphetamine, pills and cash.
This was the second officer-involved shooting in Dallas this year.
Watch the press conference, including body camera footage, in the video below.
