A Dallas man is awaiting extradition from western Tennessee on murder charges after an investigation into the fatal shooting of a Dollar General clerk flagged him as the main suspect.
Kemone Rudd, 25, is currently behind bars in Lauderdale County jail after the combined efforts of the North Texas Fugitive Task Force and the Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force located him in a residence in the 300 block of Maple Hill Circle in Ripley, Tennessee, on December 18.
Rudd faces a murder charge in connection with the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Michael Pierson on December 14. The suspect is believed to have entered the Dollar General located in the 2500 block of S. Belt Line Road and shot Pierson after an argument.
Pierson left behind a bereft family, including several siblings and a 10-year-old son.
“You have a person at work doing what they’re supposed to be doing, trying to build a life for themselves, and somebody shoots them for no reason,” explained one of the victim’s brothers, Mitchell Pierson, according to Fox 4 KDFW. “No reason is good enough to take somebody’s life.”
Balloons were placed outside the closed store in Pierson’s memory.
“Not only did he always try to make people feel good about themselves, but he did to us too,” recalled his mother, Shronda Pierson, per Fox 4. “He was very proud of his family, his brothers. He took his big brother role seriously.”
“My kids don’t know what it feels like to not have a dad, but my grandson will feel that way, and it wasn’t supposed to be like that,” she added.
The fatal shooting occurred in District 8, which is represented by Council Member Tennell Atkins. His district has recorded 41 murders this year, more than any other district. Following close behind is Council Member Adam Bazaldua’s District 7, with 37 murders.
Despite the Dallas Police Department launching a targeted campaign against violent crime, the murder rate has steadily increased in 2023. As of December 20, there had been a total of 239 murders committed within city limits, bumping up 13.8% year over year, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
An ongoing staff shortage has dampened DPD’s efforts, with approximately 3,000 officers deployed to the field despite a City analysis calling for closer to 4,000. Downtown Dallas is considerably affected by this, witnessing significantly higher crime rates than downtown Fort Worth, which is patrolled by a specialized neighborhood police unit and private security guards.