A suspected car thief is in critical condition after a Dallas police officer shot him Monday morning during a chase.
It all began at about 2 a.m. in the 300 block of North Walton Street, which is in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. Police said the man, who has not been identified, stole one of the department's bait vehicles, triggering an alarm.
"A bait car is something that we leave out in an area where there is a high amount of vehicles that are stolen," said Maj. Jimmy Vaughan, who oversees the Dallas Police Department's Crimes Against Persons Unit. "So it lets our department know that this car is stolen at which time we engage, try to track this car down, and apprehend the suspect."
Officers caught up to the bait vehicle -- a silver pickup truck -- and began to pursue the driver.
He led officers to Gate 5 at Fair Park, where he drove through a gate and into a parking lot.
"The suspect [then] intentionally rammed a police squad car, at which time one of our officers fired his duty weapon, striking the suspect one time," said Vaughan.
The suspect was rushed to the hospital. He appeared to be alert as a crews loaded him into an ambulance.
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No officers were hurt.
The officer who shot the suspect has been placed on leave, which is routine procedure any time an officer fires their weapon.
The case remains under investigation.
