DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Dallas Police have released the photo of the replica gun that a robbery suspect used during an hours-long crime spree Monday before police shot him dead.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia also gave a brief timeline of events that led to the deadly confrontation.
The crime spree started shortly after 2:30 Monday afternoon, when a man stole items from the Fiesta Supermarket at 8060 Spring Valley Rd.
and pointed a gun at employees as he fled the scene on foot.
Shortly before 4:00, police got a call from a woman who said that a man pointed a gun at someone near a school parking lot on Rolling Hills Ln.
Officers found the man on Esperanza Rd. shortly after 4:30. The man reached into his back waistband and pulled his gun out, but officers did not open fire.
Dallas Police Department
Shortly after 5:00, police say the man robbed the CVS on Coit Rd. near the LBJ Freeway and pointed his gun at the manager as he fled out the back door.
Police found the man shortly before 5:30.
"The suspect was located by officers and ran across LBJ," says Police Chief Garcia. "The suspect pointed his gun at the officers, at which time our officers discharged their weapons."
Dallas Police Department
The suspect, who has still not been identified, was hit twice.
He died at a hospital a short time later.
Garcia says the gun that the man had was a replica gun that looked indistinguishable from a lethal revolver, even close up.
Dallas Police Department
"The replica firearm has "357" written on the barrel," says Garcia. "And that's what the suspect had in his possession."
Garcia also did not release the names of the officers involved.
"It's a tragedy for our officers to have had to use lethal force on an individual that has a replica firearm," says Garcia; "but unfortunately, as you can see in the picture, it certainly looked real to the officers, and it certainly looked real to the victims that this individual was victimizing throughout the day."
