Grand Prairie Traffic Shot Results In Officer Involved Shooting
GRAND PRAIRIE – The Arlington man shot by a Grand Prairie police earlier this week is still in the hospital according to a spokesperson for the Grand Prairie Police Department.
Terry Darnell, 58, was recovering in the hospital and is said to be making a full recovery. One of the two officers involved in the incident, whose car was rammed after Darnell had temporarily stopped, but then accelerated his vehicle intentionally had also been transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Darnell rammed multiple police vehicles including two which were occupied during the attempted traffic stop.
Darnell is currently being held on one count of Aggravated Assault Against a Public Servant, a First Degree Felony, with additional charges under investigation. Grand Prairie Officers responded to a possible intoxicated driver at around 9 a.m. in the area of Northbound 161 service road near Arkansas Lane. Officers located the vehicle, a Dodge Ram truck, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. A slow speed pursuit ensued with the driver traveling North on the PGBT (Toll Road) and exiting at W. Marshal Drive. After coming to halt, Darnell accelerated using his vehicle to drive one officer and her vehicle through a fence, which protects the service road from President George Bush Turnpike.
“Fearing for the lives of the officers being rammed, backup officers fired their duty weapons at the driver striking him in the wrist,” a media release reported.
After several minutes of police negotiating with the driver, Darnell surrendered and exited his vehicle at which time he was taken into custody without incident.
He was then transported to the local hospital
Per departmental policy, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Officer-Involved Shooting Team responded to the scene and is conducting an independent investigation. The Grand Prairie Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards will be conducting a concurrent administrative investigation.
The officers have been placed on routine administrative leave.
Mark Beseda, Grand Prairie PD Public Information officer said “Unfortunately, I, nor anyone else can place ourselves in those officers position and come up with a different scenario,” regarding the shooting.
The officers will be on leave “As long as needed,’ according to Beseda. “The Chief will release them after the administrative investigation but for mental health purposes, they can remain on leave as long as needed.”
Beseda said there have not been any such incidents in Grand Prairie in the recent past. “No one situation is alike in policing,” he concluded.
