Dallas officer fatally shot while serving a warrant

A veteran Dallas gang officer was fatally shot Tuesday evening while trying to serve an arrest warrant at an apartment complex in east Oak Cliff, police officials said.

Sr. Cpl. Norman Smith was among about six officers serving the aggravated–robbery warrant at the complex in the 4900 block of of Wadsworth Drive about 6 p.m. when he was shot in the face, Chief David Kunkle said during a televised news conference.

Smith, 43, whose 18th anniversary with the department would have been Wednesday, died at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Kunkle said.

The officer had been with the department’s gang unit for 14 years. He was married to Lt. Regina Smith, who works with Kunkle, the chief said.

Kunkle said Norman Smith came to work about 6 a.m. Tuesday, learned where the robbery suspects were, and at the end of a 12-hour day accompanied a sergeant and five or six other officers to the complex. Smith was shot through the door in what Kunkle described as “a high-risk situation.”

Three occupants of the apartment were arrested, including the man police believe shot Smith, police officials said.

Kunkle described Smith as “a great street cop” who had been Officer of the Year.

The suspects were being questioned by investigators, and members of a SWAT team remained at the complex, according to a news release from Lt. Andrew Harvey, a police spokesman.