Dallas police have released video footage of a murder that was committed in Oak Cliff in October, hoping that the public can help identify the three suspects believed to be responsible.
A fatal shooting occurred on October 14 shortly after 3 a.m., which resulted in the death of Quentin Gellington, 38, who had reportedly attempted to render aid to the victim of an aggravated robbery that was unfolding in the 4500 block of Village Drive.
“Those suspects turned, and they shot Quentin. Quentin was in the street. Quentin was [run] over by an unidentified vehicle,” Jelisa Reed, a detective with the Dallas Police Department, told Fox 4 KDFW. “He was doing a good act, and he was killed.”
“Mr. Gellington was a father of two. He was a son. He was a brother,” added Reed.
Both Gellington and a female bystander, who also sustained gunshot wounds during the shooting, were rushed to a nearby hospital after first responders arrived on the scene. The female victim survived.
The unidentified assailants can be seen in the footage wielding weapons. One was wearing a black and white long-sleeved shirt paired with black pants, and the other was wearing jeans and a red jacket.
“We also see a white vehicle,” Reed said, referring to what appears to be a sedan in the footage. “We need help identifying the suspect in the red, we need help identifying the suspect in the black, and we need help identifying that white vehicle.”
The shooting occurred in Council Member Carolyn King Arnold’s District 4, which has accounted for over 15% — or 34 of 215 — of the murders and non-negligent manslaughter reports seen citywide this year, according to the City’s crime analytics dashboard.
Despite DPD launching a direct campaign against violent crime, the murder rate continues to soar, as previously covered by The Dallas Express.
The department’s ongoing staffing shortage has likely played a part. Fewer than 3,200 sworn officers are currently serving on the force, even though the City of Dallas previously estimated that about three officers for every 1,000 residents, or around 4,000 officers, were needed to maintain public safety.
This deficit is most clearly seen in Downtown Dallas, where significantly higher crime rates are logged regularly compared to the downtown area of Fort Worth, which is reportedly patrolled by a designated neighborhood police unit working alongside private security guards.
