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ARLINGTON, Texas - Officials confirm the woman who was fatally shot Thursday by an Arlington officer who was aiming at a loose dog was the daughter of an Arlington fire captain.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner identified the woman as 30-year-old Margarita Brooks. The Arlington Fire Department confirmed on Friday that Books was the daughter of one of their fire captains.
Arlington police released a statement late Thursday night saying they were doing a welfare check around 5 p.m. after Brooks was apparently passed out in a grassy area near Canton Drive and North Collins Street Thursday afternoon.
READ MORE: Arlington officer fatally shoots woman while aiming at dog
Police said as an officer called out to Brooks and approached her, a loose dog was barking at him and began running towards him. Police say the officer fired several shots at the dog, and heard the woman scream and realized she’d been hit.
Brooks was rushed to the hospital and later died. She died from a gunshot wound to her upper body.
Police say the interaction was captured on body camera. They released the video Friday afternoon.
Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson expressed his condolences for the family of a woman accidentally shot and killed by one of his officers.
“Our hearts are broken for the Brooks family and the police officer involved,” he said. “Clearly, this is not the outcome that the officer wanted nor is it the outcome that the department wanted. Miss Brooks was never the intended target of the officer’s use of force.”
The officer’s identity has not been released. Arlington police only said he is a 25-year-old Asian-American who joined the Arlington Police Department in 2012 as a detention officer. He graduated from the police academy in February 2019 and was released from field training on July 1.
Police describe the dog as a 40-pound lab mix. It was also injured. The dog is now in quarantine.
“On behalf of the entire department, I offer my sincerest condolences,” Johnson said. “And I ask for prayers, not only for the family but for the officer that was involved in this call.”
The officer is on paid administrative leave while the investigation continues. It will be up to a grand jury if he will face any charges. There is also an internal investigation.