A Dallas police officer is in stable condition after being shot in the hip during a pursuit Thursday morning.
According to the Dallas Police Department, at approximately 12:45 a.m., officers were working in a covert capacity and using an unmarked car when they saw a person driving erratically in the 3200 block of Easter Avenue. Police said officers followed the vehicle.
During the pursuit, someone inside the vehicle fired at the officers in their unmarked car. One of the bullets went through the driver’s side door and hit an officer in the hip, police said.
“Actually I heard the gunshots and I saw the white Charger stop over there,” neighbor Darryl Williams said, describing what he saw. “It’s interesting because we don’t get that around here. Especially an officer getting shot.”
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Dallas Police said they continued to pursue the vehicle by ground and by air and eventually took five people into custody in the 7200 block of Chesterfield Drive.
Police said officers later determined the vehicle had been stolen.
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One of the suspects, identified as 17-year-old Jaheart Nickelberry, was charged with aggravated assault, evading arrest, aggravated robbery, and theft of more than $30,000 but less than $150,000, police said.
According to police, officers arrested a 15-year-old female who was also charged with evading arrest.
Police said three other teens were released from custody and not charged. One male is still at large, police said.
The injured officer remains in the hospital, in stable condition. The officer is a four-year veteran of the department, but his name will not be released.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said the injured officer was transported to a local area hospital where he underwent surgery. The officer was last listed in stable condition.
Garcia spoke about the interaction he had with the officer on Thursday morning when he visited him in the recovery room.
"He is in great spirits. And the first question out of his mouth was, 'Did we catch him?' That's a warrior right there," he said. "The best part of this is having seen the officer out of surgery, smiling, making me laugh, and wanting to know if we caught the suspects. I can't tell you how awesome that is for a police chief to hear."
Dallas Police added that two people were also transported to an area hospital, one for chest pain and the other for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said. Further details about their injuries were not immediately clear.
Police said two guns were recovered, one from inside the vehicle, and another that was thrown outside the vehicle.
No officers fired their weapons during the pursuit, police said.
Mark Herrera is a former police officer with about 25 years in law enforcement. He has worked undercover and knows the dangers.
“It’s hard to identify you as a law enforcement officer if you are working undercover," law enforcement expert Mark Herrera said. "And then the time comes where you have to deploy or utilize a certain level of force. You ultimately have to identify yourself.”
