Dallas Police Sgt. Arturo Martinez has been suspended for 30 days without pay for posting “aim better” on social media following the July assassination attempt on former President and now President-elect Donald Trump.
The comment, which sparked an internal complaint, was made after the FBI identified 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks as the shooter in the attack during a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump turned his head just in time to avoid a potentially fatal blow to his skull, suffering a wound to his right ear.
Martinez, a 14-year veteran of the department and supervisor of the robbery unit, was initially placed on administrative leave while the matter was investigated, reported WFAA.
The officer had previously gained attention for organizing the “Blue for Black Lives Matter” demonstration, where Dallas officers and protesters marched together after George Floyd’s death while being detained by officers with the Minneapolis Police Department.
The suspension comes in a week of disciplinary actions within the department, as Interim Chief Michael Igo also fired three other officers for unrelated violations.
On July 13, 2024, Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, fired shots from a nearby building, injuring Trump and several attendees. Law enforcement intervened, and a U.S. Secret Service sniper killed Crooks during the confrontation.
The incident highlighted security lapses, including insufficient coordination between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, as detailed in a congressional task force report.
Critical oversights, such as failing to secure the building from which Crooks launched the attack, contributed to the severity of the event.