Dallas Police Kill Man in Struggle Over Stun Gun

Dallas police officers say they killed a man after he took a stun gun from an officer and pointed it at them.

Police said Saturday that they responded to a call on the 1500 block of East Missouri Avenue at about 11:40 p.m. Friday.

When officers tried to handcuff a man at the location, police said the man struggled and grabbed a stun gun being pulled from its holster by the officer.

Police said witnesses heard the officers yell at the man to drop the stun gun. When he didn't, an officer fired his gun at the man, killing him.

The man was identified as 22-year-old Salvador Munoz. Police said his criminal history shows arrests for drug possession and delivery, resisting arrest and assault on a public servant.

The officers have been placed on routine administrative leave.

"We are conducting a thorough investigation of this incident. Independent civilian witnesses indicate that the suspect attacked the officers, disarmed the officers of their Taser and attempted to tase the officers. We will update the public as soon as the investigation is complete," Chief David O. Brown said in a statement.

Dallas police came under strong criticism after the recent shooting of a man after a neighbor's surveillance camera contradicted police statements that the man acted aggressively.

Neighbors and Loved Ones React to Shooting

Neighbor Mike Warren heard the confrontation from his house across the street and a couple doors down.

"And I heard Junior saying, 'I don’t have nothing, I keep telling y'all I don't have nothing. What do y'all want me to do, I don't have nothing.' He said it like three or four times. And then I hear him hollering for help. About 30 seconds later we heard a gunshot."

Jeanette Munoz, Munoz's sister said the incident happened at her brother's ex-girlfriend's house.

"How was he able to get the Taser gun away from the officer?" said Jeanette Munoz. "I would think that the officer, there would be a space between them."

Munoz told NBC 5 she talked to her brother about five hours before he died. She said he hadn't been drinking and seemed in a fine frame of mind.

"He wasn't a bad person at all," Munoz said. "He was playful. He was always joking. He was always playing with my kids."

Longtime friend Lashawndra Washington said she had pizza with Munoz earlier in the day.

"He was talking to me about love. Asking me, 'What is love? What is real love?'" I told him God loves," said Washington.

NBC 5's Mark Schnyder contributed to this report.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us