On Thursday night, August 29, 2024, at approximately 10:10 p.m., Dallas Police responded to an officer in distress call in the 900 block of East Ledbetter Drive (Loop 12) in East Oak Cliff. According to the preliminary investigation, officers arriving at the scene discovered a fellow officer had been shot while inside a marked squad car.
During the response, officers exchanged gunfire with a suspect, resulting in two additional officers being struck. All three officers were transported to local hospitals. One officer is reported to be in stable condition, another is in critical condition, and one officer has succumbed to their injuries. The officer in critical condition is a female.
The suspect fled the scene, leading officers on a pursuit that ended in Lewisville, about 40 miles away, near the 1000 block of Stemmons Freeway. According to initial reports, the suspect exited the vehicle armed with a long gun and was subsequently shot by Dallas Police officers. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson released a statement on Friday morning, expressing his grief and support: “Dallas has lost a hero. We all grieve with the officer’s family today, and we pray for a full and swift recovery for the two officers who were wounded. This is devastating. In Dallas, we put public safety first. We stand up to violent criminals. We ask our police officers to do dangerous work so the rest of us can sleep peacefully. These dedicated public servants do so with grace, honor, respect, humility, and extraordinary courage. And this attack on three of our protectors is nothing short of an attack on our city, our families, and our way of life. We must continue their work to stop violence in our communities. We must never forget their sacrifice. And we must take the time to come together and lift each other up as we mourn our fallen.”
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Flags at all city facilities will be flown at half-staff.
UPDATE: In a news conference, the Dallas Police Department have identified the suspect as Corey Cobb-Bey. The officer killed was identified as 46-year-old Darron Burks. According to Police, Cobb executed Officer Burks, who was sitting in his marked police car. Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said that Cobb-Bey approached Burks' unit and talked to him through the window while he recorded the incident with his phone. Cobb-Bey proceeded to pull out a gun and shoot the Officer. At 10:11 p.m., Senior Corporal Jamie Farmer pulled into the parking lot after responding to a call for backup. Farmer was met with gunfire from Cobb-Bey. Farmer returned fire and Cobb-Bey grabbed a shotgun that he had left on top of his vehicle and fired at Farmer, hitting him in the leg.
A minute later, Senior Corporal Karissa David arrived at the scene. Cobb-Bey ran toward Karissa's police unit, shooting at her multiple times while she exited her vehicle. She was shot in the face.
After a pursuit that ending in Lewisville, Cobb-Bey exited his vehicle with the shotgun and pointed it at officer. He was shot and killed.
Police recovered two shotguns, a .22 caliber handgun and a 9mm gun. According to police, all the guns were purchased legally.
