The family of Santos Rodriguez and some members of the North Texas Hispanic community have waited 40 years for the events of Saturday.
In July of 1973, Dallas police officer Darrell Cain shot and killed 12-year-old Rodriguez while he sat in his pajamas handcuffed in Cain's patrol car. The officer was playing Russian Roulette while interviewing the boy and his brother over an eight dollar burglary when he fired his gun.
The Rodriguez family never received an apology.
That changed during Saturday's "Conversations On Race" program when Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said the following:
"On behalf of the citizens of Dallas, on behalf of the Dallas city council, on behalf of the Dallas police department, we wholeheartedly apologize for the death of this man."
The announcement was met with an ovation of cheers at the City Performance Hall.
Unrest over Rodriguez's killing led to disturbances in the streets of Downtown Dallas, injuring five Dallas police officers.
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Officer Darrell Cain was convicted of murder with malice and sentenced to five years in prison. He only served 2-and-a-half years.
At a rally on July 24, 2013, community activists called on the city to apologize for Rodriguez's death.
