A Dallas man who was shot confronting someone attempting to burglarize his car may never walk again after his injuries left him paralyzed below the knees.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, 60-year-old Jesse Simmons was getting ready when he noticed someone breaking into his work truck outside his home on Donegal Drive. Simmons armed himself with a firearm and approached the individual. He ended up getting shot, sustaining damage to his kidney, liver, and spine.
The incident occurred in Council Member Paula Blackmon’s District 9. She told Fox 4 KDFW that she knew Simmons.
“He’d been to my house to do my refrigerator. I’d see him at the East Dallas Chamber and different events,” she said.
Simmons is a father of five and grandfather of four. Even with physical therapy, it is currently unclear if he will ever regain the ability to walk.
The tragic confrontation unfolded against the backdrop of alarmingly high rates of vehicle-related thefts. As of August 18, there have been 10,616 car burglaries and 11,373 auto thefts committed in Dallas, according to a Dallas Police Department (DPD) report.
DPD is now warning people not to intervene if they find themselves in a similar situation.
“Instinct is to run out there and stop them. It would probably be my instinct. You have to fight against that,” said Deputy Chief Sharise Hadnot, per Fox 4. “Once you run out there, you have increased your chance of being harmed for this vehicle that can easily be replaced.”
Complicating the matter is the ongoing staffing shortage at DPD, which is short about 900 of the 4,000 officers a previous City analysis deemed ideal for policing a city of Dallas’ size.
Many vehicle-related crimes happen in Downtown Dallas, which logs considerably more motor vehicle thefts than Fort Worth’s downtown area. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a comparative study conducted by the Metroplex Civic & Business Association found that the Dallas neighborhood sees roughly 46 times more auto thefts than Fort Worth’s city center.
Fort Worth reportedly has a dedicated unit patrolling its downtown area alongside private security guards.
“Don’t leave your car running. A lot of people have the key fob. They think they are good and can leave the car running, doors locked. They go into the store. They’re not good,” Hadnot advised, per Fox 4. “They can drive until the gas runs out, and you are at the 7-Eleven with a key fob and no car.”
Auto thefts have increased sharply this year, with DPD logging a 35% spike year to date. Hadnot said supply chain issues are partly to blame.
“Trying to get car parts is expensive, or you can’t get it,” Hadnot said to Fox 4.
Blackmon said that police are doing everything they can to identify and locate the suspect.
For his part, Simmons told Fox 4 that he is determined to walk again.
Simmons’ family is reportedly offering an additional $10,000 reward on top of the $5,000 reward being offered by Crime Stoppers. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Crime Stoppers hotline: 1-877-373-TIPS.