Armed driver shot by Arlington officer in I-20 traffic stop dies at hospital, police say
A driver is dead after he refused to put down a gun during a traffic stop and an Arlington police officer shot him Thursday afternoon on Interstate 20, according to Arlington police.
The driver, who was in the vehicle by himself, was taken to a hospital, where he died, according to police.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office identified him on Friday as 49-year-old Sean Daniel McKay.
Sgt. Courtney White, an Arlington police spokesperson, said McKay was pulled over for driving erratically on I-20 near Green Oaks Boulevard. The officer, who was on a motorcycle when he performed the stop, talked to the man and, during the conversation, decided to ask the driver to step out of the vehicle.
McKay refused several commands to get out of the vehicle, then the officer saw he was holding a firearm, White said. The officer gave multiple orders to drop the weapon, but McKay refused, she said. The officer fired multiple times, hitting the driver.
White said it’s not yet known whether McKay fired his weapon or pointed it at the officer. She said that the officer shot the man in response to “his actions.”
The officer was not injured in the shooting.
Video from the scene showed a black Cadillac car with a shattered front passenger-side window.
White said internal affairs and the department’s homicide unit will be running separate investigations at the same time — the former to determine if the officer followed department policy and procedure and the latter to run a criminal investigation. Meanwhile, the officer will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure, according to police.
All westbound lanes of Interstate 20 were closed near Park Springs Boulevard in Arlington on Thursday afternoon following the shooting about 1:30 p.m.
Images from traffic cameras showed multiple police cars on I-20, and police were diverting traffic.
Staff writer Nicole Lopez contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 3:35 PM.