What to Know
- Grand Prairie officer dies after a crash that took place while pursuing a driver with a phony paper license tag.
- A $10,000 reward is being offered for info on the driver of the silver Chevy Malibu involved in the chase.
- Copies of the same fake paper tag seen on the Malibu have been recorded on hundreds of vehicles around North Texas, police say.
A Grand Prairie police officer died Monday night after crashing during a pursuit with a driver who had a fake paper license tag.
According to the Grand Prairie Police Department, at about 10:40 p.m. on Monday Officer Brandon Tsai was near the intersection of Belt Line Road and Pioneer Parkway when he spotted a silver Chevrolet Malibu with a fake paper license tag.
Police said Tsai tried to stop the driver when he failed to yield, but that the driver instead chose to try to speed away. Tsai called for backup and the pursuit continued for several miles.
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According to Daniel Scesney, Grand Prairie Chief of Police, Tsai and his backup were following the Malibu when the driver took a sudden turn. The backup officer, who had changed positions and was between Tsai and the Malibu, slowed down to make the turn and was hit from behind by Tsai. Scesney said the collision forced Tsai's cruiser onto its side and crashed into a traffic pole.
Our nation lost a hero last night. Officer Brandon Tsai represented the very best among us and laid down his life protecting this city and all those who live within it. Our hearts are broken but we are grateful to all those who have extended their thoughts and prayers to Brandon’s family including his entire extended family who wear blue.
Daniel Scesney, Grand Prairie Chief of Police
Tsai was taken to Methodist Dallas Medical Center where he died from his injuries. The officer in the front vehicle was hospitalized with minor injuries and has been released. A passenger in the backup officer's vehicle was not injured.
Tsai, who was an organ donor, was 32 years old and had been with the Grand Prairie Police Department since January 2022. Before joining GPPD, he served five years with the Los Angeles Police Department in California.
"He was a loving friend, a trusted colleague and an outstanding officer whose passion was providing service to the public," the department said early Tuesday in a prepared statement.
Scesney said Tsai's funeral arrangements are being made and that details will be shared at a later time. The public is invited to attend a candlelight vigil at 6 p.m. on Friday night at the department's Public Safety Building at 1525 Arkansas Lane.
SEARCH UNDERWAY FOR DRIVER OF CHEVY MALIBU
Scesney said police are looking for the driver of the Malibu, though said they don't have much to go on other than the make, model and color of the car and a few areas of damage.
Police said late Tuesday that the car is likely a 2012-2016 Chevrolet Malibu, silver in color with black generic steel rims. There is believed to be paint or cosmetic damage to the upper rear passenger side post, next to the rear windshield, a rectangular object or reflector that is raised on the right rear passenger side, near the bumper seam, tinted windows, and likely has a temporary fictitious license plate.
The fake paper tag, which Scesney said was 0330S43 and expired in September 2022, had been recorded on hundreds of vehicles in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
While the identity of the driver of the Malibu is not yet known, Scesney said the driver could at least face felony charges for evading arrest.
"I can submit to you that our experience dictates these tags aren't put on cars just because there is nothing wrong," Scesney said. "I suspect, can't back that up just yet, but there's more to this and I can tell you that every detective that works in this department is looking into it."
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment of the driver who led Tsai and the backup officer on the chase. Tipsters may remain anonymous and can call 972-988-TIPS or share their tips online at gpcrimestoppers.org.
CRASH HIGHLIGHTS DANGERS EXPOSED IN TEXAS' PAPER TAG SYSTEM
For more than a year NBC 5's investigative team has been looking into the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles' paper tag system and how criminals have been able to gain access to it and exploit it for millions of dollars in illicit gains.
NBC 5 Investigates learned from law enforcement sources that the tag's number was first issued by the DMV this past spring and had since been reproduced hundreds of times. Click here to read more.
Paper tags can be legitimate, but they can also be entirely counterfeit if they were printed or copied and sold by a criminal abusing the state's temporary tag system.
NBC 5's reporting has exposed how criminals obtained dealer's licenses and used the state's online system to create and print thousands of tags that were then sold on the black market.
Monday's incident in Grand Prairie is at least the second involving law enforcement in Texas in the last 24 hours where an officer was hurt or killed pursuing a driver with a fake tag. In Lakeway, outside of Austin, police are searching for the driver of a stolen car with a phony tag who struck two police cars Monday night while making an escape.
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