A Dallas police officer shot and killed a burglary suspect late Wednesday after the person charged at officers, police say.
Dallas police were called to a burglary on Conner Drive in Pleasant Grove at about 10 p.m. Wednesday night after a neighbor reported seeing someone breaking into a home.
Officials said two officers, trainee Jamal Robinson and field training officer Sr. Cpl. Mark Meltabarger, arrived at the home and spotted someone inside the dark house using a flashlight.
The officers ordered the man to come outside and surrender, and it appears that he was complying when he suddenly began yelling and walking in a circle. Police said the man, who was later identified as 19-year-old Gerardo Pinedo, dropped to his knees and curled up into a fetal position as he struck the ground with his fists.
As Meltabarger reached for his stun gun to subdue Pinedo, the man threw his phone at Meltabarger's head, jumped up and charged at Robinson, police said.
Robinson retreated until he was up against a chain link fence. As Pinedo touched him, Robinson, fearing for his life, fired his gun, police said.
An ambulance rushed Pinedo to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, where he underwent surgery before he died at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Neither of the officers were hurt.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Neighbor Jesus Vidales said Pinedo wasn't a burglar and that the home belonged to Pinedo's family. Vidales said the family had moved out while a foundation problem was repaired and that Pinedo had been visiting him earlier in the evening, where they had been drinking.
"Once he got too drunk, I told him and the other guy to go to his old house. They probably thought it was a burglar because he was drunk and screaming," Vidalis said. "They shot because he attacked. He attacked because he was drunk. He's an angry drunk, I guess."
Trainee Robinson has been with the Dallas Police Department for about 10 months and has been out of the academy for seven weeks. Field training officer Meltabarger has been with the department for nearly 14 years.
Police said Pinedo was not armed. Both the burglary and the officer-involved shooting are under investigation.
