Officer’s leg amputated after woman drags him with car at Fort Worth federal building: FBI
A U.S. Treasury police officer had to have his leg amputated after a federal employee dragged the officer with her car outside the Bureau of Engraving and Printing office in Fort Worth earlier this month, according to the FBI and the officer’s family.
Officer Joe Lock was critically injured and remains hospitalized following the assault on July 18, according to his family’s account on a GoFundMe page.
“With the suspect continuing to try an escape, Joe found himself lying on the concrete, unable to move with his blood quickly leaving his body,” the GoFundMe account reads. “This is where many people would’ve folded, called it a day, and just gave up, but not Joe. As a veteran police officer of 33 years, Joe fell back on his training; he remained calm, cool, and collected, and made that dreaded call of ‘officer down.’” Lock radioed in details to help other officers arrest the woman, his family said.
The suspect, 26-year-old Juliza Aguilar, is charged with assault of a federal officer, court records show.
In an affidavit, an FBI agent who investigated the assault wrote that she responded to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing parking lot at 9100 Blue Mound Road, where she was met by officers from the BEP and Fort Worth police departments.
Aguilar’s supervisor said he had received concerning text messages and emails from the suspect, according to the affidavit. About 4:30 p.m., the supervisor met with Aguilar to discuss the messages and concerns with her attendance, he said. Aguilar told her boss that medication she was taking was making her “feel ‘off’ and a bit paranoid,” the affidavit states. She said she was worried about losing her job, which the supervisor reassured her wouldn’t happen, he told the FBI agent.
The supervisor said she seemed calm and she declined an offer to take the rest of the day off. But after she left the meeting, he saw her activate the fire alarm system, he said. Aguilar said she felt “unsafe” and was going to leave, according to the affidavit.
Her supervisor contacted the BEP police to intervene, and Lock responded, the affidavit says.
Video reviewed by the FBI agent shows Aguilar in the driver seat of a Toyota Scion and Lock standing in the open driver side doorway. Aguilar put the car in reverse and backed up, dragging Lock with the car door, the affidavit says. The Toyota hit a parked sedan, pinning the officer between the two cars, the agent said.
Aguilar tried to drive away, but hit a light pole, disabling her car, according to the affidavit.
Aguilar was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital to be medically evaluated before her arrest. A federal judge has ordered that she undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether she’s competent to stand trial.
Lock was flown by CareFlite to Harris Hospital, where he underwent surgery to amputate his right leg near the knee. He also suffered a fractured hip, the court documents say.
Lock has since had multiple surgeries and has a long road of rehab and recovery ahead, according to the GoFundMe.
“Joe has served 33 years as a police officer in Texas, both at the municipal and federal levels,” the GoFundMe page says. “He has an amazing wife who has been by his side since the incident and 3 kids who love him dearly.”
As of Wednesday night, almost $3,000 had been raised toward a $10,000 goal to help the family.
This story was originally published August 1, 2024 at 12:08 AM.
