A Dallas police officer was shot and killed and two others were wounded in a shooting Thursday night southeast of Oak Cliff. The suspect was ultimately killed by officers.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Officer Darron Burks, 46, who had recently completed his police training after a career as a school teacher, was fatally wounded. The incident occurred when officers responded to an assist call on East Ledbetter Drive and encountered a suspect. The officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, resulting in Burks’ death and injuries to two other officers.
The suspect fled the scene but was later pursued by Dallas police to Lewisville. There, he exited his vehicle with a long gun and officers shot and killed him. The names of the other officers involved were not immediately.
Officers expressed their grief. Flags at all city facilities have been lowered to half-staff in honor of Burks.
“Dallas has lost a hero,” Mayor Eric Johnson wrote in a statement Friday. “This attack on three of our protectors is nothing short of an attack on our city, our families, and our way of life. We must continue their work to stop violence in our communities. We must never forget their sacrifice.”
A candlelight vigil is planned to honor Burks’ memory.
“I want to express my deepest condolences and full support to the family of our fallen Dallas Police Officer,” Dallas Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert wrote in a statement. “We cannot take for granted how precious life is and how courageous our first responders are to selflessly take the oath to protect and to serve.”
An investigation into the case is still ongoing and police are reviewing surveillance footage and collecting evidence to determine the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
