A male suspect is dead following an early morning fatal officer-involved shooting in DeSoto.
Police were initially called to the 1100 block of Greenbriar Drive shortly after 4:00 AM Sunday after the unidentified armed suspect, a Hispanic male who was carrying a small child and was accompanied by two women, began knocking on random residential doors and trespassing through their front and back yards.
When police arrived, they encountered the male suspect who was armed with a handgun and was holding a small child. The man then threatened to shoot any police officer he encountered. Officers tried to talk to the man and deescalate the situation but the group fled into a creek behind the homes where police temporarily lost visual contact. Police formed a perimeter and encountered the group about 30 minutes later in the 1200 block of Springbrook Drive. They continued to talk to the man who was holding the gun in his hand and tried to get him to drop his weapon and let the small child go but he remained uncooperative.
Fearing for their safety and that of the child, one officer who was armed with a rifle fired on the suspect striking him. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene by DeSoto Medical Personnel.
Police are still working to identify the deceased male. The two women who were with the suspect were taken in for questioning but were not successful in helping the police identify the suspect. The child was turned over to family members.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave per departmental policy. Grand Prairie Police are the outside agency investigating the officer-involved component of the shooting. The Public Integrity Unit of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office was also notified and responded to the scene. The involvement of both agencies is routine after an officer-involved shooting and is designed to ensure an objective outside investigation.
