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Dallas man dies during police warrant operation at South R.L. Thornton motel
A man died after Dallas officers serving narcotics and probation warrants encountered him armed with a rifle at the Mustang Inn. Police say he shot himself; investigators are still determining whether he fired at officers and whether an officer’s gunfire struck him.
A man died Wednesday after Dallas police officers serving warrants at a motel near Interstate 35 encountered him with a rifle, according to the department. Police said the man shot himself during the confrontation, while one officer also fired a weapon.
The officers, part of the department’s Crime Response Team, arrived at about 12:20 p.m. at the Mustang Inn in the 400 block of South R.L. Thornton Freeway to serve warrants related to narcotics and a probation violation. Investigators used Flock license-plate recognition cameras to locate the man at the motel, police said.
Police said the man confronted officers while carrying a long rifle. Officers repeatedly ordered him to comply, but he did not, according to the department. He then fired a shot at himself. No officers were injured.
It remains unclear whether the man fired at officers before shooting himself. Police are also investigating whether he was struck by an officer’s gunfire; early information from the department said he had been hit, but that account is under review. The man’s identity had not been released by Wednesday afternoon.
Department commanders and public information officers responded to the scene. The investigation was ongoing.