Driver who ‘burst through barricade’ fatally shot by Irving police officer on PGBT
A man was shot and killed by an Irving police officer Wednesday morning after he drove through a barricade on the President George Bush Turnpike and approached officers while carrying a knife, according to the Irving Police Department.
At around 6 a.m., the Texas Highway Patrol responded to a major accident on the President George Bush Turnpike just north of Texas 114 and called Irving police to assist with traffic control, said Irving Police Chief Derick Miller in a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Just before 11 a.m., a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed “burst” through the barricade that officers set up along 114, with most of them on Interstate 635 and the tollway, Miller said.
Two officers who were stationed at the barricade began pursuing the vehicle, which stopped near Las Colinas Boulevard. The driver got out of the car with a knife in his hand and started walking on the shoulder of the highway, according to Miller.
The responding officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, asking the driver to drop the knife, but he continued walking on the shoulder with the officers following him, Miller said.
At one point, the suspect turned around and moved toward one of the officers, Miller said. The officer, who police say continually tried to de-escalate the incident, was forced back into a vehicle on the right shoulder of the road.
The officer then fired his gun, hitting the suspect several times, according to Miller. Officers rendered medical aid to the suspect and the Irving Fire Department responded to the scene. The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name has not been released.
The public was asked to avoid the area Wednesday afternoon as all lanes of the PGBT were closed to traffic near Las Colinas Boulevard while police investigated the accident and the shooting, police said.
The police department’s Criminal Investigations and Internal Affairs divisions are investigating the shooting. The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Integrity Unit also responded to the scene.
The officer who fired his weapon is a 15-year veteran with the Irving Police Department.
Police said they are working to identify the suspect. Miller said police are also investigating why the suspect hit the barricade.
This story was originally published March 13, 2024 at 2:29 PM.
