On Wednesday, off-duty Farmers Branch Police Officer Ken Johnson, who fatally shot a 16-year-old and wounded another teenager, has been arrested on charges of aggravated assault and murder.
The Dallas Morning News reported that Officer Johnson, 35, was arrested on Wednesday night in the death of Jose Cruz who was shot after an "altercation" Sunday evening in Addison. The officer was also charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting Edgar Rodriguez, Cruz's classmate, who is expected to survive.
Addison Police Chief Paul Spencer said in a written statement that they had a probable cause to make the arrest, but the situation is rapidly evolving so an active investigation remains. An internal affairs inquiry by the Farmers Branch Police Department is still on going and Chief Spencer expects several more weeks of investigation.
According to NBC San Diego, the arrest of Officer Johnson was met with handclapping by hundreds of grievers attending a celebration of life service for Cruz. The mother of Cruz spoke to the media through a translator and said that the officer deserves a death penalty.
The shooting happened at a gas station in Addison on Sunday evening, says Star Telegram. City officials said Johnson saw a vehicle being robbed in his apartment complex parking lot. Officer Johnson chased the suspects and after the suspects' vehicle spun about half-mile away, an altercation led to the shooting.
Chris Livingston, Johnson's lawyer, said his client feared for his life. Investigators have not disclosed whether the teenagers were armed. Meanwhile, Farmers Branch police spokesman David Laisure decline to comment on the matter.
Chief Spencer previously said that Johnson had no disciplinary record and noted that department policies do not allow off-duty police officers to chase suspects in their own vehicles. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement said Johnson has worked for Farmer's Branch police for a year and worked as a peace officer for Dallas Rapid Transit for almost eight years prior to that.
