Tonight three dead in Northeast Dallas after Dallas Police Department officers responded to a reported active shooter.
Dallas Police had been called to the active shooter incident in the 9800 block of Summerwood Circle at 4:30 p.m.
As officers approached the scene, one of their vehicles were hit and they retreated to safety and activated SWAT.
Officers entered the scene after 7:00 p.m. finding two dead women and a dead man at the incident. Per reports, Dallas Police did not fire their weapons.
Three Dead In Northeast Dallas – Hard Start For Eddie Garcia’s Tenure
Chief Garcia was introduced to Dallas in late December after his selection and he has been on the job for less than a week. Reducing violent crime was task number one for the new chief after his predecessor saw crime rates skyrocket.
Dallas held a Chief Eddie Garcia introduction press conference this afternoon as he prepares to take his new position leading Dallas Police Department. Questions he faced immeidately were how to bring down violent crime, the inter-office politics of working with other applicants for his job working in the office, and his focus on the night time economy that 24 Hour Dallas is working on.
He noted Dallas reminded him of San Jose – particularly its diversity. In a question about using relationship-based policing model Chief Garcia stated “we are open to any ideas that we can have to ensure residents and visitors are safe, but also businesses thrive.”
He stated that it is important to “ensure businesses are successful” and that in San Jose he had been contacted by the Chamber of Commerce to find out what they could do for San Jose police. His response was “what can the police do for them.”
Garcia also stated that his focus will be violent crime, but that he did not like the term petty crime. What is petty to one, isn’t to another.
Eddie Garcia Introduction
Chief Garcia said it is important that the police community acknowledge that their badges did not always shine as brightly as it should.
He specifically mentioned mistakes being made in a number of cities related to this summer’s protests. He mentioned specific goals of keeping the community, protestors, and officers safe. He did not make specific mention of the issues with the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge events or the accountability issues surrounding it.
Eddie Garcia is the new chief of the Dallas Police Department per a city press release. Chief Garcia has been police chief for the San Jose (CA) Police Department.
City Manager T.C. Broadnax Wednesday announced that Eddie Garcia will become Dallas’ 30th Chief of Police, making him the first Latino to preside over the ninth largest police department in the country. Garcia began his career with the San Jose Police Department in 1992 and has served as its Chief since 2016.
“My story began as a young boy moving to a new city, learning to speak English in a community that promoted me to Chief. It’s an honor to be welcomed into one of America’s greatest cities for the second time as Chief.” said Garcia. “I’m truly humbled by the thought of wearing the DPD uniform and working alongside such an amazing group of committed men and women. Together in partnership and collaboration with the Dallas community, we will meet the challenges of today and beyond.”
Chief Garcia holds a bachelor’s degree from Union Institute and University. Since he started as an officer in February 1992 in San Jose, the nation’s 10th most populous city, he worked in the Patrol, Narcotics, Special Operations – M.E.R.G.E (Mobile Emergency Response Group and Equipment) unit; was a patrol sergeant, night detective and homicide investigator; and commanded the Community Services Division and the Special Investigations Unit.
During Chief Garcia’s tenure in San Jose he led initiatives to help build community trust; increase transparency; and embrace fair, impartial, and constitutional policing. Among the department’s successes they implemented basic Spanish in the police academy, launched a Spanish language Facebook page and significantly increased minority recruiting.
