Dallas police have released surveillance footage of a plainclothes officer fatally shooting a man last week outside of an illegal gambling room. Law enforcement had received a call at about 1am on Thursday regarding an ongoing robbery.
The footage shows four individuals forcing people into the gambling establishment at gunpoint from the parking lot. Officers are then seen arriving, at which point the suspects attempt to flee from the establishment.
Timothy Jefferson was one of those people. Undercover officer Ruben Martinez is shown on video exiting his vehicle and confronting the 34-year-old, who had a handgun and was wearing a mask. They pointed their weapons at one another before Jefferson dropped his gun.
made a move to retrieve his firearm from the ground
Martinez attempted to grab the suspect who then made a move to retrieve his firearm from the ground, which is when the officer shot at Jefferson four times. Law enforcement carried out CPR on Jefferson until paramedics arrived on the scene, but he later died from his injuries at the hospital.
Police apprehended two of the other robbers with one remaining at large. They also arrested the gambling room’s manager and charged him with running the illegal establishment.
Dallas City Councilmember Carolyn King said these types of facilities are an issue in the area and that the authorities are actively working on shutting them down.
