Dallas police fatally shoot suspect armed with box cutter: police

[August 28, 2015]  By Lisa Maria Garza
 
 (Reuters) - A Dallas police officer shot and killed a robbery suspect on Thursday who was armed with a box cutter and fought with officers while attempting to evade arrest, police said.

Officers responding to a robbery call at a known drug house encountered the suspect, who had set the home on fire, Police Chief David Brown told a news conference.

"A struggle ensued after officers gave verbal commands to the suspect to show his hands and he didn't comply," Brown said.

Two officers deployed Tasers, each striking the suspect, but both attempts were ineffective, police said.

The suspect, who was not identified, then attempted to flee in a sport utility vehicle.

“While inside the vehicle, officers continued to struggle with the suspect and one of the officers discharged his weapon, striking the suspect,” Brown said.

He did not say how many rounds were fired by the officer or where the man was hit.

The officer was put on routine administrative leave, which is standard procedure. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas field office was notified as part of protocol, the chief said.

“With police-involved shootings now in this country, we’re very hypercritical of every officer’s actions. But the suspect was armed with a box cutter," Brown said.

"The officer used deadly force as a last resort."

(Reporting by Lisa Maria Garza in Austin, Texas; Editing by Jon Herskovitz and Eric Beech)

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