Teens arrested in beating, robbery of off-duty Arlington officer near store gas pump
Three juveniles who Arlington police say pistol-whipped and robbed an off-duty Arlington police officer Wednesday morning outside a convenience store were taken into custody in Dallas just hours after the attack, authorities said.
Dallas police stopped the car driven by one of the juveniles at a convenience store in the 2100 block of East Ledbetter Drive in Dallas.
Dallas officers found the Arlington officer’s police identification in the car, which was determined to have been stolen.
Arlington police will not release the names of the suspects because they are juveniles. They will be referred to the Tarrant County Juvenile Court in Fort Worth.
“The information we have right now leads us to believe this was a crime of opportunity and the officer was not targeted based upon his affiliation with law enforcement,” said Arlington Police Chief Al Jones in a Wednesday news release. “Regardless, this armed robbery could have happened to anyone in our community so we are asking the public’s assistance in identifying those involved. We are grateful for our colleagues in Dallas who made a traffic stop and detained the teenagers implicated in this offense.”
A fourth juvenile may still be at large, Arlington police said.
Arlington police spokesman Lt. Christopher Cook said the officer “is going to be OK.” He had visible injuries to his face and the top of his head, but did not need to be taken to a hospital.
No other injuries were reported in the robbery, which occurred just before 7:30 a.m. outside a Quik Trip store at 900 E. Division St. in Arlington.
The officer was in his own personal car when he stopped at the store after he got off work, which was about 7 a.m., Cook said in a telephone interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The off-duty officer had stopped to get gasoline. The officer’s police uniform shirt was hanging in the rear passenger seat and his duty belt was inside the vehicle.
The officer was armed with a second firearm as he began to pump gas into his car, Arlington police said.
The off-duty officer than saw a four-door passenger sedan drive into the parking lot and eventually stop at the gas pump next to where he was standing. Several other customers were in the parking lot.
He saw four male teenagers in the car, and at some point, three of them exited the car and began to assault the officer. One suspect punched him in the face, and a second juvenile struck the officer with a handgun on top of his head.
The officer decided not to use his firearm and complied with the suspects, Arlington police said.
The suspects stole the officer’s wallet and personal cell phone.
Police said the attackers drove away in a four-door white passenger car with paper tags.
“I spoke with our officer this morning,” Jones said in a statement on social media. “He’s in good spirits and will be OK.”
The officer, employed by the Arlington Police Department since July 2018, is assigned to the East Patrol District.
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 9:18 AM.
