VIDEO: Dallas officer shoots armed man inside Pleasant Grove motel room filled with stolen merchandise
DALLAS - Dallas police released dramatic body camera video on Friday of an officer shooting an armed man inside of a Pleasant Grove motel room filled with stolen merchandise earlier this week.
Police were called to the Red Crown Inn off CF Hawn Freeway Wednesday morning while they were responding to a call about stolen items.
A box truck stolen from a business overnight was tracked to the motel.
Officers spotted a man, later identified as 41-year-old Clifford Osmer, attempting to climb out of a window.
He then went back inside.
Body camera video showed the officer entering the room. 13 seconds after entering the motel room the suspect opens.
Bullets barely miss an officer fired from seven to ten feet away.
"He tried to kill them," said Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia on Friday afternoon.
Senior Corporal Rene Dominguez and Officer David Cortinas then return fire hitting Osmer.
Dominguez, a veteran officer who has been with DPD since 1989, dodged the first shots drawing on training and experience.
"The primary officer, the senior corporal that was there, his main thing when those shots came at him, you can tell he turned and went to cover and responded and then again he didn't fire until he engaged the suspect the second time and visually saw him," said Garcia.
Cortinas was hired in August of last year and had only been on the streets for nine weeks.
Officers then administered first aid to the suspect. He was later taken to the hospital.
"I don't know if I could be any prouder," said Chief Garcia of how his officers acted after the shooting.
No officers were injured in the shooting.
Chief Garcia said thousands of dollars worth of stolen items in the motel room. The stolen box truck was also recovered at another location.
The gun that was used to shoot at officers was also stolen.
Osmer will be charged with two counts of aggravated assault of a public servant. Additional charges are pending.
"This is what our men and women are facing. This was a career criminal who was desperate and there's no other way to say it. I cant explain what was going on in his mind to try to kill a Dallas police officer or a police officer in that scenario, but that is what you witnessed right there," said Garcia.
The chief said Osmer has a long wrap sheet, including burglary, assault, theft and organized crime.
Dallas police shoot armed suspect at Pleasant Grove motel
Dallas police say a man shot at officers at a motel in Pleasant Grove, and those officers fired back. The shooter was injured and taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The incident is under investigation by the Dallas Police Special Investigations Unit and the Dallas County District Attorney’s office.
This is the sixth officer-involved shooting by Dallas police this year.