The Arlington Police Department released footage and 911 texts to the public, providing insight into an officer-involved shooting earlier this month that left a young man dead.
Patricio Gamboa, 23, was killed after Arlington police officers responded to reports of an armed and suicidal person on November 19. As revealed by Arlington police on Wednesday, Gamboa allegedly texted 911 saying that he wanted to kill himself but was having trouble pulling the trigger.
“I’m not really harming myself; I’m freeing myself,” one of the messages read.
Gamboa reportedly made it clear that he wished to be killed by police, writing to dispatchers that he would be waiting for officers on his front porch with a 12-gauge shotgun.
“I know they don’t want to hurt me, but I need to give them a reason to. Will a cop’s vest stop a shotgun slug?” he wrote.
Three officers responded, arriving at a residence in the 2500 block of Fallcreek Street at 6:25 a.m. They first made contact with Gamboa by phone, kicking off a lengthy attempt to de-escalate the situation. As shown in the body cam footage shared by Arlington police, the officers eventually approached him outside the home and tried to convince him to relinquish his weapon.
“Unfortunately, he just didn’t want to comply,” Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said during a press conference, according to Fox 4 KDFW.
Gamboa can be seen in the footage pointing his firearm at the officers. The officers opened fire in response, fatally wounding him. The three officers have been put on leave while internal investigations conduct a probe into their use of lethal force. Jones applauded the officers’ actions and claimed they had no other choice but to employ lethal force.
“I want the public to understand, these are some of the most challenging and stressful calls we respond to,” he said, according to NBC 5 DFW. “And I want to assure them that our officers go into these situations wanting to save lives.”
Nationwide, the suicide rate continues to climb after reaching a record high last year, as reported by The Dallas Express. Figures released by the CDC this summer showed the number of suicides had increased from 31,655 in 2002 to approximately 49,500 in 2022.
In Texas, the growing mental health issue has prompted the expansion of healthcare services in rural communities, such as the construction of a $159 million 75-bed hospital in Amarillo.
Police officers are considered to be particularly vulnerable to mental health issues due to the high-stress nature of the job. In August, the Dallas Police Department — already plagued by staffing issues — lost two officers to suicide, as covered by The Dallas Express.
DPD currently fields fewer than 3,200 officers despite a City analysis recommending a force of approximately 4,000 to ensure public safety.