Dallas Police Officer Dies from Home Depot Shooting

DALLAS, TX - JULY 12: A Dallas Police officer wears a black band on his badge outside of
File Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Mayor Mike Rawlings announced that Dallas Police Officer Rogelio Santander died after being shot in the head at a Home Depot on the city’s northeast side Tuesday afternoon. The second wounded officer and the Home Depot loss prevention officer remain in critical condition, the mayor said during a meeting of the City Council.

The mayor identified the female officer as Crystal Amdeida. The name of the loss prevention officer has not yet been released.

Image: Officer Down Memorial Page

Officer Santander, 27, and Officer Almeida graduated from the same academy class and served in the department’s Northeast Division for three years, WFAA reported.

Santander and Almeida responded Tuesday afternoon to a call for assistance from an off-duty Dallas police officer who worked at the Home Depot. He and a loss prevention officer had a suspect they needed help with arresting.

When the officers arrived, 29-year-old Armando Juarez reportedly pulled a gun and began shooting the officers. He then allegedly fled the store and left the scene in a white pickup truck. Officers later engaged the then-person of interest in a high-speed chase that began on the city’s southeast side and ended up in a neighborhood on the northwest side near Love Field, Police Chief Renee Hall told reporters late Tuesday night. News outlets reported that Juarez fired shots at the officers during the pursuit.

The officers successfully took Juarez into custody. There was also a female in the truck when police made the stop.

Police initially charged Juarez with multiple counts of aggravated assault on a public servant. Those charges are likely to be upgraded with the announcement of officer Santander’s death.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted, “Our hearts are aching because of this Dallas Police Officer who lost his life in the line of duty. We thank him for paying the ultimate sacrifice protecting his community and we keep his family in our prayers.”

Following the passing of Officer Santander, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued the following statement:

I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of the courageous Dallas PD officer, Rogelio Santander, who died today as a result of yesterday’s shooting. Please join me in praying for the officer’s family, as well as officers in Dallas and everywhere, as they mourn the loss of their colleague. May swift justice prevail and may God grant peace to those who grieve.

Officer Santander is the 46th law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty in 2018, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. He is the 24th to die from hostile gunfire.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTXGAB, and Facebook.

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