An Arlington motorcycle officer fatally shot a driver during a traffic stop on westbound I-20.
At 1:30 Thursday afternoon, the officer pulled the driver over at Green Oaks Blvd. after watching him drive erratically across several lanes.
“Based off of their conversation, and some other factors that the officer observed, he did request that the driver turn off the vehicle and exit the vehicle, in which the driver did not comply,” Sgt. Courtney White told a news conference Thursday evening.
The officer then observed the driver holding a gun.
“The officer gave the driver multiple commands to drop his weapon, in which the driver did not do so,” says Sgt. White. “Due to the driver’s actions, our officer fire his weapon several times, striking the driver. The driver was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.”
The department is launching an investigation to determine whether the officer violated any laws or department policies during the encounter.
“Our officer was not injured during the incident and has since been placed on administrative leave, which is routine during incidents where our employees fire their service weapons,” says Sgt. White.