Dashcam Shows Fatal Clash with Accused Killer of Dallas Police Officer

By Kelli Smith

Source The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Police Department released dash-camera footage Monday showing officers fatally shoot a man who had killed an officer and wounded two others.

Officer Darron Burks, 46, was fatally shot Thursday during a “premeditated execution” about 10 p.m. in southeast Oak Cliff while waiting for an assignment in his squad car, Chief Eddie García said. Corey Cobb-Bey, 30, then shot two officers — Senior Cpls. Jamie Farmer and Karissa David — and led other officers on a chase to Lewisville.

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The 45 seconds of dash-camera footage released Monday do not show any of the pursuit but depict Cobb-Bey stopping his white Buick and stepping out from the driver’s side on the left lane of Interstate 35E. At least two police cars are in view, facing him from behind.

“Use caution, he’s looking back, he’s still in the car — coming out with a weapon” someone calls out over the police radio. Other cars drive along the right shoulder. Sirens blare.

Cobb-Bey raises his hands in the air and takes a few steps toward police. An officer crouches behind the open door of a police vehicle and aims a gun at Cobb-Bey.

“Drop the gun! Drop the gun now!” officers scream at Cobb-Bey.

Cobb-Bey walks back toward his car, then turns around and appears to wave at officers. He approaches officers. The chief has said Cobb-Bey had a shotgun in hand, and police edited the footage to zoom in on the weapon.

Cobb-Bey continues to walk toward officers with the shotgun in hand, which does not appear to be aimed directly at police. Officers open fire as he approaches, shooting several rounds at Cobb-Bey, who collapses on the street. Police blurred his figure in the footage as the guns are fired.

“Roll EMS, we’ve got shots fired,” someone calls out over the radio as the footage ends.

Police recovered two shotguns at the Lewisville site and two handguns at the Dallas shooting scene, which Cobb-Bey had legally obtained, García said.

The chief said the department would not be releasing the surveillance footage showing Cobb-Bey fatally shooting Burks. Burks was a former schoolteacher who’d graduated from the police academy in December.

After Burks was shot, a dispatcher noticed an unusual transmission from Burks’ radio and tried to contact him but got no response, the chief has said. Police found him by using his GPS location as Cobb-Bey went back to his car and got a shotgun. He fired at Farmer and David as they responded to check on Burks, the chief said.

Radio traffic

A nearly 20-minute recording of what appears to be radio traffic after Burks was shot was uploaded to YouTube by Metroplex Emergency Photography, an account that regularly posts scanner traffic. In the recording, a second-long groan is heard, and the dispatcher appears to refer to Burks and asks, “Did you mean to mic up?”

An officer asks if they should check on Burks. The dispatcher says his location puts him at 907 E. Ledbetter.

“Do we need to reroute to Charlie 717′s location?” an officer asks, referring to Burks by his element number.

“If you’re close by, go ahead and head over there,” the dispatcher replies.

Moments later, an officer cuts in over the radio. “Ah! Ah! Ah!” the officer screams, along with other inaudible yells.

“What unit is that?” the dispatcher asks. Heavy breathing is heard.

“What’s going on?” the dispatcher presses. At least six shots appear to be heard through the radio.

“Units — I need units to head to 907 E. Ledbetter. Code 3,” the dispatcher says, referring to the code for an emergency response. The heavy breathing continues for several seconds over the radio.

“Where they at? Where they at?” an officer says. “I can’t see!” someone appears to reply.

“What are they wearing?” an officer yells in the distance.

“A yellow shirt, and a white car … the car is still in the parking lot. We have one officer down. We need an ambulance,” an officer says.

“White Buick that’s heading westbound on Ledbetter!” an officer calls out, which is relayed to others by the dispatcher.

“We have a third officer that’s injured,” another officer says, sounding panicked.

As several police units pursue Cobb-Bey, others call in over the radio asking for medical help. “Where’s the f---ing ambulance?” an officer says. “Three ambulances are en route,” the dispatcher replies.

“One is down, we’re doing CPR right now, the other two have been transported,” an officer says. Someone else identifies Farmer and David as the wounded officers.

“We’re still waiting on that ambulance, where is it?” an officer says. Someone asks other officers to help clear a path for the ambulance to get to a highway.

In the remainder of the recording, the dispatcher calls out Cobb-Bey’s location as police chase him to Lewisville. “Suspect should be considered armed and dangerous,” an officer says.

“Guys, you all doing good? Just take a breather, units that are closing up on this. … Take a breather, you’re doing good,” the dispatcher says moments later.

“The suspect has at least one pistol and at least one shotgun, we have an officer with a shotgun wound and a pistol wound,” an officer says.

Once police near Lewisville, they try a “spike attempt” on Cobb-Bey, which fails, an officer says. Police call out when Cobb-Bey stops on the interstate, leaves his Buick and walks toward officers with a weapon.

After the shots are fired, police discuss shutting down traffic and searching Cobb-Bey’s car.

‘Brave and honorable work’

The chief has applauded the dispatcher, Farmer and David and those who pursued Cobb-Bey despite the risks.

“He followed his training and protocol, sending help to our officer when he needed it most,” García said on Friday about the dispatcher. “It was brave and honorable work done.”

Farmer, who was shot in the leg, was treated and released from the hospital. David, who was shot in the face, was hospitalized in critical condition but is listed as stable, police spokeswoman Kristin Lowman said Monday. She said the department doesn’t intend to release any other footage.

In the days since the shooting, hundreds have mourned and memorialized Burks. A celebration of life will be held at Watermark Community Church at 11 a.m. Saturday, according to his obituary.

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