Around 1:40 pm on Friday, December 3, a Mesquite police officer responded to a disturbance call at Albertsons grocery store, resulting in a gunfire exchange. The grocery store is located at 1500 South Beltline Road, close to East Cartwright Road.
The disturbance call involved two women. The Mesquite Police Chief, David Gill, said in a statement, “at some point a man got out a gun, leading to a shootout with the officer.”
Both the officer and the suspect were hit during the incident and sent to Baylor University Medical Center. According to NBC DFW, the officer was struck two times.
WFAA reported that the suspect was shot once. Upon arrival at the hospital, both of them were in critical condition.
Dallas officers, along with officers of Mesquite, were seen sitting outside of the emergency room at the Baylor Hospital, anxiously waiting to receive an update on the injured officer’s condition.
The Mesquite police officer later died at the hospital Friday evening.
According to Fox 4, Gill released a statement about the officer’s death and announced that further information would be delivered soon, possibly over the weekend.
CBS DFW mentioned that during Gill’s announcement, a large number of police officers were gathered in the parking lot.
“This was a senseless act of violence that ripped a loving husband and father from his family,” Gill expressed. “He was a 21-year-veteran of the Mesquite Police Department. He was a good man, a good friend, a good officer. Please keep his family and our family in your prayers.”
A motorcade of police vehicles escorted the deceased officer to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office. Many police departments, along with Mayor Eric Johnson, showed their condolences and sent prayers via social media.
The suspect of the gunfire exchange is still at the hospital in critical condition with no further updates. They have not named who the officer was, nor the suspect.