Dallas police have released bodycam footage from the department’s first officer-involved shooting of 2024.
Deputy Chief Terrence Rhodes with the Criminal Investigations Group of the Dallas Police Department (DPD) announced the release of the footage: an early Sunday morning shootout between officers and a robbery suspect in Red Bird.
On February 11 at 12:37 a.m., Dallas police officers were dispatched to reports of a robbery-in-progress at an illegal gaming room located in the 2900 block of West Wheatland Road. This location is within Council Member Tennell Atkins’ District 8, as previously covered in The Dallas Express.
Arriving at the rear of the shopping center, officers encountered a man as he was exiting through a back door. The man confirmed that the business was being robbed and informed officers that the alleged robbers were inside, per the police brief.
One suspect ran out of the building through the front entrance, where other officers met him. This suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Reginald Curry, ran from officers, turned, pointed a weapon, and fired at the officers.
In the bodycam footage, police can be seen ducking for cover as the suspect headed toward a Taco Bell in the 2800 block of West Wheatland Road, shooting over his shoulder. Three officers returned fire, striking the shooter in the leg and the chest area.
Curry was arrested without further incident and was hospitalized after receiving first aid at the scene. He was last listed in “critical, but stable condition,” according to the police brief. Curry is to be charged with three counts of aggravated assault on a public servant.
The second suspect exited behind Curry and ran from the scene.
No officers were injured.
As Rhodes explained, the incident is under investigation by the police special investigations unit and the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. More arrests may follow.
Robberies in Dallas had risen by 3.6% compared to 2023, with 260 reports made in 2024 as of February 13, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
DPD has struggled with curbing crime due to a substantial officer shortage. The department fields only around 3,000 officers, even though a previous City analysis recommended a force of about 4,000 to improve police response times and properly ensure public safety in a City the size of Dallas.
This year, DPD will also have just $654 million for police operations, with City officials opting to spend much less taxpayer money on public safety than other high-crime cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
