An attempted robbery earlier this month put a baseball tournament at Mavs Ballpark on pause after an unidentified suspect tried to rob an off-duty law enforcement officer with a fake gun.
The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. on October 14 beyond the rightfield wall during the second inning of a 10-and-under game between Texas Edge Martinez and 5 Star Performance Black. The game was part of the Mavs Ballpark World Series Warm Up 10U Open.
Texas Edge Martinez’s coach eventually pulled his team off the field and forfeited the game over safety concerns. The Granbury-based team did not return for its scheduled game Sunday morning.
The off-duty officer identified himself as law enforcement to the suspect, spurring the alleged offender to drop the fake weapon and run. More police were called to the scene and opened an investigation, which is still ongoing as an aggravated assault case. No arrests have been made.
“On October 14, 2023, at about 8:20 p.m., officers responded to a call for police in the 2800 block of Harry Hines Blvd,” a Dallas Police Department public information officer told The Dallas Express. “The preliminary investigation determined a suspect pointed a gun at the victim and left the location on foot. There were no injuries reported. This remains an ongoing investigation.”
Neither the tournament director nor Texas Edge Martinez’s coach responded to requests for comment from The Dallas Express. Mavs Ballpark opened in April 2005 and bills itself as a “unique experience” because of its turf field, “green monster” wall in left field, stadium and dugout structure, and amenities. It is located in Council Member Jesse Moreno’s District 2, just north of Dallas’ city center.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Downtown Dallas has been rife with crime, homelessness, and vagrancy in recent years, with the neighborhood logging considerably more criminal offenses than Fort Worth’s downtown area. The latter is reportedly patrolled by private security guards and a special police unit.
DPD has been experiencing a significant staffing shortage, maintaining fewer than 3,200 officers. A City analysis states that a city the size of Dallas needs roughly 4,000 sworn personnel.
According to the City of Dallas crime overview dashboard, 10,091 criminal offenses have been committed in District 2 since the beginning of the year, including 426 aggravated assaults, 183 robberies, and 18 murders.