Dallas streets turned into a shooting gallery when a suspected armed robber opened fire on police officers outside an illegal game room. The high-stakes exchange, on February 11, saw suspect Reginald Curry, 23, unleashing a hail of bullets, shooting at officers 11 times before being shot himself amid his attempt to escape the crime scene. This was confirmed by newly released bodycam footage, FOX 4 News reports.
Responding to a robbery call at an illegal gaming den on West Wheatland Road, Dallas police confronted Curry, who, captured on video, discharged his weapon toward the lawmen. Curry, riddled with bullets in his leg and chest after officers returned fire a combined 43 times, received first aid at the scene and was arrested. "They were trying to save their lives. You had an individual that they were not going to let go. That they wanted to catch that was trying to kill them," Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia described the close call in a statement obtained by CBS News. "They did everything they could to stay in the fight."
Curry, now facing three counts of aggravated assault of a public servant, is linked to a criminal past filled with drug and theft offenses and is identified as a known gang member. In addition, a second man, Horice Williams, 33, was apprehended on February 14. Police allege that Williams had two guns, including a stolen handgun when he was nabbed, and has a rap sheet including offenses for unlawful restraint and firearm possession by a felon.
According to Garcia, illegal game rooms like the one on Wheatland Road, often go unnoticed but are preyed upon by criminals, as mentioned in a statement obtained by FOX 4 News. The Dallas PD is steadfast in its efforts to dismantle such establishments, which come up on their radar. "As the places come up on our radar, we do our best to shut them down," he said. Tragically, the individuals frequenting these rooms put themselves in harm's way, a notion underscored by the violent events that recently unfolded.
The two officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave pending investigation. This dangerous encounter marks Dallas's first officer-involved shooting incident in 2024, with both suspects now behind bars, and thankfully no officers injured despite the bullets flying faster than the flicker of neon lights that once adorned the game room's clandestine halls.
