Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Dallas Police Department released additional details and body-worn camera footage related to the Sept. 28 shooting of a man in Casa View.
The initial investigation found that when officers arrived on scene at the 10300 block of Shiloh Road, a man ignored police demands to drop his weapon. He began firing at them, and the police returned fire, hitting the man. He was taken to a hospital and later died.
“This is the most frightening thing a police officer can encounter,” Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said of the exchange of gunfire at a press conference.
On Sept. 29, the department added to the initial statement, saying that several people had called 911 with reports of a man carrying a gun.
Officers Jacob Rozenburg, Brandy Walling and Otilo Valdez-Sanchez Jr. responded and found 64-year-old Darrell Hibbard holding a pistol in the front yard of a home in the 10300 block of Shiloh.
They gave “repeated verbal commands” instructing Hibbard to drop his gun, but he didn’t, and he began walking toward Walling, who was standing outside her patrol car, the police say. Walling gave “at least 30 verbal commands” telling Hibbard to let go of the pistol.
Hibbard pointed the gun toward the officers. Both Hibbard and the officers were shooting, and Hibbard was hit several times. Squad cars used by Walling and Rozenburg were hit by Hibbard’s gunfire.
Once the officers secured the scene and Hibbard, they began offering medical aid, and Hibbard was taken to a hospital. He died at 7:10 a.m.
“As I’ve said before, any loss of life is tragic. This is a tragedy for the family and friends of Mr. Hibbard,” Garcia said. “But it is also a tragedy to our officers who were involved yesterday morning. This is never our intended outcome.”
Also at the scene, officers found several loaded rifles on the porch of the home. The Explosive Ordinance Squad came because detectives were told explosive devices might have been inside the home, but no devices were found.
The Dallas Police Special Investigations Unit and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office are investigating.
Watch the footage below, or click this link to watch on YouTube.
