Garland police officer shot; suspect killed in shootout
Garland officer shot: Videos capture gunbattle
Newly obtained videos show the moments officers first arrived at the shooting up to the moment the encounter ended more than two hours later.
GARLAND, Texas - Garland police officers shot and killed a 23-year-old man who ambushed officers and injured one of those officers early Monday morning.
Garland officer shot
Garland officer shot; suspect killed in shootout
Garland police officers shot and killed a 24-year-old man who ambushed officers and injured one of those officers early Monday morning.
What we know:
Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan said his officers responded to multiple 911 calls just after midnight in the 100 block of West Wanda Drive about a man firing weapons in the street.
Dispatchers could hear gunshots in the background while they were on the phone with one of the 911 callers.
As the first officers arrived, 23-year-old Bernardo Mares shot at their vehicle, striking one of the officers in the leg while he was still inside. The officer was able to get to safety and was taken to a hospital, where he remains in stable condition.
"I did talk to the officer this morning at about 2 a.m. that was in the hospital. He was in a lot of pain, but he had good spirits. And, he’s a very resilient officer. He’s been with us for one year and the poise that he showed for a one-year officer, I’m very proud of him," the chief said.
What we don't know:
Police have not yet identified the injured officer. They've only said he's been with the department for about a year and previously worked in New York as a jailer.
Suspect ambushes additional officers
What we know:
Chief Bryan said Mares took off in a white pickup truck after firing shots at the officers.
"Additional officers arrived on the scene and expanded the search. One officer traveling on West Marguerita, which is a street just south of the initial incident, was caught off guard by a second ambush by the same suspect," he said. "Unbeknownst to her, the suspect had parked his vehicle and taken a concealed position behind parked cars."
Mares opened fire again, struck the second officer's vehicle. Fortunately, she was able to take cover and was not hit.
Chief Bryan said the suspect continued firing shots as other officers arrived and an exchange of gunfire ensured.
Suspect killed in shootout
Garland PD update on deadly police shootout | FULL
Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan gives an update on an early-morning shootout that left one officer injured and the suspect dead.
What we know:
The suspect eventually fled the second scene on foot and made his way back to a relative's home West Wanda Drive. Several people were in the home at the time.
Police were in the process of trying to safely evacuate them when Marez charged at officers with an object in what Chief Bryan described as a "shooter’s stance." Investigators now believe it was a magazine from one of his guns.
Multiple officers responded, shooting Mares. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Police believe Mares was holding a magazine from one of his weapons when he was shot and killed.
A magazine was seen next to an evidence marker once the sun came up Monday morning.
Police say they later found two guns that were out of ammo.
They also counted bullet holes in five squad cars and estimate more than 100 shots were fired over the two-hour ordeal.
"The suspect fired a lot of shots before we even got to the scene. And I couldn’t tell you how many shots he fired. I watch some of the body armor videos and you could hear the shots being fired at the officers but I couldn’t count. I couldn’t give you a guess. All together I’d say over 100," the chief said.
What we don't know:
Police still don't know Mares' motive for the shooting.
"At this time, we do not yet understand what prompted Mr. Mares to engage these shootings in his attempt to kill multiple police officers. But according to witnesses, he indicated that he was not going to jail and that he was going to force officers to kill him," Chief Bryan said.
The department did not have a history with him.
What they're saying:
Chief Bryan said things could have gone very differently. He's grateful that the Garland Police Department isn't planning five funerals.
He said he's proud of all his officers who stayed calm as they came under fire.
"As police officers, we understand the risks involved, but we ultimately joined the force to make a difference in our community—to serve and protect," Garland Lt. Pedro Barineau said.
What's next:
A total of eight police officers who opened or returned fire during the shootout are on administrative leave pending the outcome of both internal and independent investigations.
The Source: Information in this article comes from Garland police.