The Dallas Police Department has released body camera footage of the shootout and apprehension of an illegal immigrant suspected of killing his roommate in broad daylight and injuring a police officer.
Officers Derek Williams and Christopher Mazin allegedly witnessed the suspect, later identified as 45-year-old Juan Vicente Zavala Lopez, firing at a man in a vehicle as they passed by a business located at 4847 Scyene Road last Thursday.
The officers responded promptly, parked at a nearby business, and exited with their weapons drawn, according to authorities.
As he drove out of the parking lot, Zavala Lopez allegedly fired multiple shots at the officers, striking a patrol car. Officers retaliated with gunfire and reentered their vehicle to pursue.
On Second Avenue, the officers were pursuing Zavala Lopez when he abruptly made a U-turn and drove back at the officers, who had stopped and evacuated their vehicle. The police department’s body camera footage shows Officer Williams exchanging gunfire with a suspect in a white vehicle.
According to investigators, Williams was struck on the right side of his ballistic vest. The patrol vehicle was struck by additional bullets.
The injured officer was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment before being released. Monday’s press conference by Police Chief Eddie Garcia revealed that Officer Mazin was unharmed.
Ruperto Mondragon Salgado, 60, the victim of the initial shooting, died at the site. Another passenger in the vehicle was unharmed.
A search for the suspect led to a Lewisville, Texas, residence. To apprehend the suspect, the Dallas Police Fugitive Unit coordinated with Dallas Police SWAT and Lewisville Police.
Zavala Lopez was apprehended after being discovered in a cabin on the property. He has been charged with murder, one count of aggravated assault, and four additional counts of aggravated assault against a peace officer for the initial gunshot.
The initial gunshot, according to Garcia, appeared to be a domestic dispute between two roommates.
Currently, Zavala Lopez is being held in the Dallas County Jail on bonds exceeding $1 million.
Garcia stated that Zavala Lopez illegally entered the nation and is being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In addition to facing charges in California, Zavala Lopez has a lengthy criminal history, having been deported nine times and spending 18 months in a Texas state prison, according to the police superintendent.
