A Dallas police officer was shot and killed Thursday evening in Oak Cliff and two others were wounded, which brought the number of Dallas police officers killed since July 2016 to four.
On July 7, 2016, a man opened fire on Dallas police officers, interrupting a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas. Four Dallas police officers, Michael Krol, 40; Lorne Ahrens, 48; Michael Smith, 55; and Patricio “Patrick” Zamarripa, 32, were killed. Dallas Area Rapid Transit police officer Brent Thompson, 43, was also killed. Multiple other police officers and civilians were shot but survived. Police later killed the shooter, who had plotted to kill police officers, after a standoff.
The shooting was the deadliest day in Dallas Police Department’s history, and was the highest number of U.S. law enforcement officers killed in a single day since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
In the years since, four Dallas police officers, including the one this week, have been killed in the line of duty. One was shot and killed by a shoplifting suspect, while two were hit and killed by drunken drivers on Dallas highways.
Rogelio Santander Jr.
Officer Rogelio Santander Jr., 27, died April 25, 2018, after he was shot the day before while responding to a shoplifting call at a Lake Highlands Home Depot. Santander and his best friend and patrol partner, Crystal Almeida, were called to the store after a loss-prevention officer noticed a man acting suspiciously and attempting to steal merchandise.
An off-duty Dallas officer detained the man and found he had an outstanding felony warrant. After confirming that the man was wanted, Santander attempted to arrest him. He then pulled out a handgun and shot Santander, his partner and the loss prevention officer.
Almeida said at a court hearing in 2021 that she suffered hearing and vision loss, vertigo, short-term memory loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the shooting.
Santander was survived by his girlfriend. He had been with Dallas Police for three years.
The shooter was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2021 after pleading guilty to capital murder.
Jamie Givens
Senior Cpl. Earl “Jamie” Givens, 55, was killed July 21, 2018, after he was hit by a drunken driver while escorting a funeral procession for a fellow officer who had died of cancer. The crash happened about 6 a.m., as Givens sat on his motorcycle, emergency lights flashing, blocking the Interstate 20 ramp at Bonnie View Road. An SUV driven at a high speed crashed into him.
Givens was taken to Baylor University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He was survived by his two adult sons.
A 32-year veteran of the department, Givens had served in Dallas Police’s motorcycle unit, SWAT team and mounted unit. Friends told The Dallas Morning News that Givens was planning to retire soon when he was killed and was an avid biker who was most at home on a motorcycle.
The SUV’s driver was sentenced to 10 years in prison last year after he pleaded guilty to a charge of intoxication manslaughter causing the death of a police officer.
Mitchell Penton
Officer Mitchell Penton, 27, was killed Feb. 13, 2021, after a drunken driver struck his patrol car as he was directing traffic on North Central Expressway near Walnut Hill Lane after an early morning wreck.
He was taken to Baylor University Medical Center, where he died. He had been with the department for two years.
Penton was survived by his wife, who was pregnant at the time, and stepson.
In May 2023, the driver of the car that crashed into Penton’s patrol car was convicted on a charge of intoxication manslaughter of a peace officer and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
