An Arlington Police Department officer-involved shooting has left a 34-year-old man dead following a confrontation on Monday evening. According to the City of Arlington, police responded to a Suspicious Person call at an apartment complex located at 1400 block of E. Lamar Boulevard.
Upon arriving at the scene around 9:01 p.m., officers found the man lying on the hood of a vehicle with a gun on his hip, while they initially were investigating a report of an individual peering into several parked cars. When the officers announced themselves and shone a flashlight on him, the individual, in turn, sat up and retrieved the gun, raising it toward them. Responding to the perceived threat, both officers discharged their weapons multiple times, hitting the man. After the shooting, the officers attempted first aid until paramedics arrived, but the man was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
Neither of the officers involved sustained injuries during the tragic event. As part of their proceedings, the Arlington Police Department is now conducting two standard investigations: one criminal, to determine if there were any criminal offenses committed, and another administrative, focused on whether department policies and procedures were adhered to throughout the incident. The names of the officers, as with the identity of the deceased man, are yet to be divulged pending these inquiries.
Meanwhile, with the due process in motion, both officers have been placed on administrative leave. "As is standard procedure anytime an officer fires their service weapon, there are currently two investigations taking place," as per the Arlington Police Department, cited by the City of Arlington. These investigations will seek to provide clarity on the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting and to ascertain the appropriate next steps.
