Dallas Officer Dies Day After Shooting at Home Depot
A police officer has died following a shooting Tuesday afternoon during a shoplifting investigation at the Home Depot near U.S. 75 and Forest Lane in northeast Dallas.
“It is with great sadness that we must inform you that Officer Rogelio Santander… passed away at 8:11 this morning from his injuries,” the Dallas Police Department announced Wednesday on its blog, dpdbeat.com. “Again, we ask that you please continue to pray for Officer Santander’s family and our department as we all try to cope with this tragic loss.”
Santander and Officer Crystal Almeida were shot during the incident as was Scott Painter, a loss prevention officer for the store at 11682 Forest Central Drive.
Almeida and Painter “remain in critical condition but both are improving,” dpdbeat.com reports.
The shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m., sparking a manhunt that ended about five hours later.
The arrest of Armando Juarez, 29, came Tuesday night after a lengthy car chase that started in southeast Dallas and ended in the northeast area of Dallas, police announced online.
“He will be charged with at least two counts of aggravated assault on a public servant and two previous felony theft warrants,” the department announced on its blog, dpdbeat.com, before the case became a homicide. “Additional charges may be added.”
During the search, police had released photos of Juarez and identified him as a “person of interest.”
Police reported on dpdbeat.com that Juarez was seen leaving the the store at 11682 Forest Central Drive, in a white Ford pickup, possibly an F250, with a ladder rack, “GX4” printed on the back fender, and large exhaust pipes rising from the front of the bed.
Almeida and Santander were identified as both three-year veterans assigned to the Northeast Division.
