On Wednesday, April 25, Officer Rogelio Santander, a patrolman with the Dallas
Police Department, Dallas, Texas died as result of being shot in the line of
duty on Tuesday. Officer Crystal Almeida
was also shot, along with loss prevention officer Scott Painter, who works for Home
Depot, the location where the shooting took place.
On Tuesday, Officers Santander and Almeida responded to the
Home Depot in northwest Dallas, where an off-duty Dallas officer and the
store’s loss prevention officer were holding Luis Juarez, who had been arrested
by the private officer and the off-duty police officer after leaving the store
with items for which he had not paid.
Juarez was brought back into the security office at Home Depot and
on-duty Dallas officers were called to transport Juarez to jail.
At some point, the off-duty officer left the security
office, leaving Juarez in care of Officers Santander and Almeida. The off-duty officer went to out to one of the Dallas patrol cars to confirm whether Juarez had an outstanding felony warrant
for his arrest, which in fact proved to be the case. When the officers attempted to handcuff
Juarez, he retrieved a pistol from inside his pants and shot Officers Santander
and Almeida, and the Home Depot loss prevention officer. The off-duty officer heard the shots fired call over the police radio and returned to the Home Depot security office but Juarez was no longer there. Juarez was captured later that night after a high-speed chase through Dallas.
My prayers and deepest sympathy to the family of Patrolman
Rogelio Santander and to his colleagues at the Dallas Police Department. Also my prayers for the swift recovery of
Officer Almeida and the Home Depot loss prevention officer, Scott Painter.
May God bless and protect all police officers as they do
their jobs every day in spite of all the dangers involved.
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