Dallas County

Dallas County Assistant DA Died by Suicide Following Car Crash

The Dallas County Assistant District Attorney found dead inside his Rowlett home Saturday died by suicide, according to the Rowlett police and Collin County Medical Examiner.

Rowlett police confirmed to NBC 5 they were called to Justin Lord's home at about 6:45 a.m. for a possible suicide. Inside the home officers found Lord with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lord was taken to a Plano hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The Dallas County Assistant District Attorney found dead inside his home Saturday was taken to a hospital earlier that morning after a car crash, a police report obtained Wednesday by NBC 5 reveals.

The Collin County Medical Examiner issued a preliminary cause of death as suicide. The investigation into Lord's death by the Rowlett Police Department is ongoing.

Earlier that morning, Lord was stopped by police and briefly hospitalized, according to a police report obtained Wednesday by NBC 5.

A report from the Palmer Police Department, in Ellis County, said an officer responding to a crash noticed Lord walking down the street at about 1:30 a.m. with blood on his face and T-shirt. The crash, which Lord was involved in, was reported at the intersection of N. Dallas Street and E. Paris Street.[[559477112,C]]

Lord told the officer he was involved in the crash and admitted to having "three or four" drinks that night, according to the report. The officer observed Lord "did not have normal use of his mental or physical faculties."

Bodycam video of the officer's interaction with Lord was released earlier this week.

The report said Lord told a medic he was on his way home to Rowlett, which he told police was a mile away. The medic informed Lord that he was actually in Palmer, which is about 40 miles away. Lord was then taken to Ennis Regional Hospital for further examination, the report said.

Upon arrival at the hospital, Lord gave consent to draw blood to check his blood alcohol content, according to the police report. He was informed if the number was over the legal limit, a warrant would be issued for his arrest for driving while intoxicated.

The hospital released Lord to his wife later in that morning, Palmer Police Chief John Zaidle said.

Lord told police he had been drinking at the Green Door Public House, located downtown just a mile from the courthouse where he worked.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission said it is investigating whether he was overserved.

Bar managers declined to comment.

TABC records show Green Door Public House was cited for two minor violations 10 years ago and has had a clean record since.

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