A Dallas police officer was fired Wednesday after allegedly failing to help a driver involved in a chase and ensuing crash that set the car ablaze in May.
Another Dallas Police Department officer involved in the incident was suspended.
The DPD announced the firing of Senior Cpl. Leonard Anderson and the 30-day suspension of Darrien Robertson, who reportedly was being trained by Anderson.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia said in a statement in May that the incident occurred after the officers initially tried pulling over a car for allegedly not having headlights on, leading to a chase.
The two officers were put on administrative leave in May, but Garcia said they would not face criminal charges.
During the chase, the vehicle jumped a curb at Martin Luther King Boulevard and crashed on the other side of the road.
According to security camera footage, the driver had swerved to avoid a pedestrian on the road and then lost control of the vehicle. Afterward, the officers allegedly left the scene of the accident without rendering aid.
Audio from the officer’s dash came video captured a brief exchange about the crash.
“Did you see that?” Robertson asked.
“That’s his fault,” Anderson replied.
The two officers only returned to the scene of the accident after learning that the car had caught fire.
Body camera footage showed the officers engaging with people who had been near the crash and had gathered to check on the victim. Some of the exchanges suggested that the group displayed disapproval or even anger toward the officers.
“They were chasing him when he hit the tree, and they turned their lights off and turned,” one of the people can be heard saying.
Eventually, Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to the accident and administered CPR to the victim, who survived, although there was no word on the extent of the injuries.
“I’m embarrassed for the men and women of this department,” Garcia said. “This is not what we stand for.”
He also praised those who lent aid to the victim. “Those citizens did an admirable job — and did a job that our officers should have done,” Garcia said.
