CORRECTION NOVEMBER 12, 2020: A total of three officers responded to the incident: two Dallas College police officers assigned to the El Centro College campus, as well as a third officer, who was in field training. The trainee was injured during the exchange of gunfire, not Garcia nor Mason.
CS thanks the reader who provided the correct information.
Dallas, Texas – An investigation of a suspicious vehicle last week turned deadly when a man and two El Centro College police officers exchanged gunfire. The suspect died at a local hospital from his injuries, while one of the responding officers was injured, also requiring hospitalization. The officer was released from the hospital the following day.
The deceased suspect has been identified as Reginald Alexander Jr., 25, reports NBCDFW. The two officers involved have been identified as Rodrigo Garcia and Danny Mason, although it’s unclear which of the officers was injured, reports WFAA.
The altercation happened on November 6 when Garcia and Mason investigated a suspicious vehicle near the downtown campus. They found Alexander, who owned the car, and attempted to arrest him for having an outstanding warrant for a probation violation, reports WFAA.
The El Centro College officers say Alexander then pulled out a handgun, and the officers and the suspect then exchanged gunfire.
The shooting was captured on the officers’ body cameras as well as a fixed security camera in the area. The video hasn’t been released to the public.
Per department policy, both El Centro College police officers are on leave. One of the officers had only been on the job for two weeks, while the other is a training officer, reports WFAA.
