Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia fired one of his officers after an incident in an Uber on November 18.
Officer Anthony Heims was arrested by fellow Dallas Police Department officers and charged with aggravated assault, according to a news release. Heims allegedly pointed a gun at another off-duty officer in the front seat of an Uber they were sharing.
The Uber driver called 911 and reported that a backseat passenger shot a front-seat passenger, according to reports by local news outlet WFAA Dallas.
The Uber driver claimed Heims pointed a gun at the other passenger’s head as he drove them to a gated community, according to an affidavit.
The driver also stated that the two passengers “struggled over the pistol, which went off into the roof of the vehicle, damaging the sunroof,” according to the affidavit. Officers reportedly recovered a Glock 26 — a 9 mm pistol — from the Uber’s front seat, along with 12 live ammunition cartridges, and a fired shell casing.
After his arrest early Friday morning, Heims was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an expedited administrative investigation conducted by internal affairs police. On Saturday, Chief Garcia announced that Heims had been fired.
Heims can appeal the decision under the city’s civil service rules. Robert Rogers, Heims’ attorney, released a statement after the firing:
“A rush to judgment and a hurried investigation [does] not serve the best interest of justice,” Rogers said. “My client will appeal.”
Most recently assigned to Southeast Patrol Division, Heims has been in the department since September 2013.
Heims was the second Dallas officer to be arrested last week on assault charges.
Officer Javier Granados was arrested last Thursday and faces charges of assault (family violence), a class A misdemeanor, according to a news release.
Granados has been with the department since 2019 and is assigned to the Southeast Patrol Division.
He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs investigation.
