A burglary suspect reportedly died Tuesday night of a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a shootout with Fort Worth police.
Four patrol officers were dispatched to the 700 block of North Beach Street at approximately 9:10 p.m. on December 12 after receiving reports that the alarm had been set off at a business. They quickly came across an unnamed male suspect, who allegedly took off on foot while shooting a handgun multiple times in the direction of the officers.
Following the suspect northbound on North Beach Street, three officers returned fire. The suspect was not thought to have been struck by the officers, but this is still under investigation. He continued to run before falling on the causeway of the service road near Highway 121, where he then allegedly turned the gun on himself. The suspect was given first aid and taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot to the head.
The suspect’s identity has not been released. Following protocol, the officers involved are currently on administrative leave while the incident is reviewed by the Fort Worth Police Department’s Major Case Unit, Internal Affairs Unit, and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
Although no one was injured in the shootout leading to the suspect’s apparent suicide, Chief Neil Noakes stressed the courage of officers responding to calls without ever knowing what to expect.
“I can’t be more proud of officers who are coming to work every day knowing that [a shootout with a suspect] is something they might have to face,” Noakes told the press.
Incidents of theft followed by dramatic police pursuits of suspects have made headlines in North Texas lately, as previously covered by The Dallas Express. These thefts have targeted various establishments, from pharmacies to retail stores.
In Dallas, there have been a total of 26,770 theft offenses and 5,703 burglaries committed citywide this year as of December 12, according to the police department’s crime analytics dashboard. However, motor vehicle theft, the most prevalent crime in the city, has surged 40.9% from the year prior, reaching 17,864 recorded offenses.
Despite a City analysis stating that a municipality the size of Dallas should have roughly 4,000 officers to curb crime effectively, the Dallas Police Department currently has fewer than 3,200. Downtown Dallas has been affected most by this deficit, as the neighborhood remains a hotbed of criminal activity, especially auto theft.
For comparison, Dallas’ city center saw 91 motor vehicle thefts over one month, while Fort Worth’s downtown area, which is patrolled by a dedicated police unit working alongside private security guards, had only two such violations.