A man with a violent criminal history killed his wife before calling 911 and reporting the murder and then opened fire on police when they responded to the call Thursday, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia says.
In a news conference Friday morning, Garcia said Sergio Sanchez called 911 Thursday morning and said he killed his wife at their home on the 5300 block of Bonita Avenue.
As officers approached the man's Old East Dallas home at about 11 a.m., police said Sanchez opened fire and that two officers were struck in the lower extremities. The officers are expected to make full recoveries.
Dallas Fire-Rescue, who also responded to the call, provided cover for the injured officers and helped get them to safety as the man continued firing on police.
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Video shared online showed the officers running for cover, one assisted by DFR, as gunshots are heard.
Garcia said SWAT was called and a perimeter was set up around the area. A short time later, SWAT went into the home and found both Sanchez and his wife deceased.
Investigators believe Sanchez killed his wife before calling 911 and that he then later killed himself. No shots were fired by Dallas police officers, Garcia said.
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Friday morning, Garcia said police received a call from someone who said they spoke with Sanchez before the shooting and that he said he intended to "shoot it out with police" and made mention that he didn't intend to go back to prison.
Garcia thanked Dallas Fire-Rescue who provided cover for police to get the wounded officers away from the scene as the man kept firing.
"To put themselves into harm's way between the suspect and our injured, downed officers, I can't even describe it. That doesn't happen everywhere, I will tell you that," Garcia said. "So I'm very proud to be working side-by-side with the men and women of the Dallas Fire Department. It absolutely made a difference. We owe them a lot."
Garcia said the investigation into the shooting on Bonita Avenue is still active and ongoing.
Garcia also acknowledged Friday the recent spate of violence directed toward officers in the first two weeks of his tenure.
"Obviously it's a concern of mine that in the short time I've been here we've had so many officers fired upon when they're doing their duty. That's unacceptable," Garcia said. "We lost an officer, killed at the hands of a drunk driver, that is unacceptable."
Garcia said on Feb. 7 officers were fired upon by a person with a rifle and that one of the rounds went through a headrest. On Feb. 11, officers were making an arrest and were fired upon but were not injured. On Feb. 13, Officer Mitchell Penton was killed when he was struck by a suspected drunken driver. Feb. 18, the incident this report where two officers were shot responding to a call.
"I continue to ask the community to keep these officers in your thoughts and prayers as they go out every day to perform an insurmountable task, day in and day out, and the sacrifices that these men and women make when they leave their families and come to work," Garcia said.
