Dallas Police pursuit of stolen U-Haul truck ends in gun battle – Law Officer

DALLAS – Law enforcement authorities in Dallas are investigating an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that took place near Love Field airport Tuesday afternoon. The OIS occurred with a suspect who led police on a chase while driving a stolen U-Haul truck, according to officials.

Chief Eddie Garcia of the Dallas Police Department spoke to members of the media Tuesday and said the investigation was still unfolding, but he’d share what he knew up to that point. He said officers were conducting surveillance on a stolen U-Haul truck in the northwest part of the city when they saw a man get into the cab of the box truck, NBC 5 DFW reported.

According to the chief, the suspect spotted officers watching him and rammed the truck into one of the surveillance vehicles. The ramming driver then tried to escape, which led to a vehicle pursuit down the Dallas North Tollway.

Eventually, the suspect exited close to Love Field and eventually crashed in the 7200 block of Lemmon Avenue.

Dallas Police investigate a shooting between a suspect driving a stolen U-Haul and a police officer near Love Field airport on Tuesday. (Screenshot NBC 5 News)

The fleeing suspect exited the crashed U-Haul and ran toward a building near the airport. As he was about to enter the building, the gunman turned and fired at the pursuing officer. The officer returned fire and struck the suspect, Garcia said.

The perpetrator was taken into custody and transported to receive medical treatment for a gunshot wound to the leg. His injury is not considered life-threatening, police said.

The investigation into the precipitating crimes, vehicle pursuit, and OIS remain ongoing. There was no mention of injuries to police personnel. Garcia said more details will be released at a later time.