Grand Prairie police are investigating after an officer working an off-duty assignment shot at a man three times Friday night, striking him once, when the man charged at the officer with a large rock.
Police said they were called at about 6:20 p.m. to the intersection of Southeast 14th Street and East Marshall Drive.[[303968081,L]]
There, witnesses said the man whom police later shot had been assaulting a woman with the rock, so two other men who live nearby grabbed some steel pipes and tried to intervene.
By that time, the Grand Prairie officer, who was right down the road, arrived and told everyone to put their weapons down, witnesses said.
"The cop came out and asked them to stop what they were doing, so they dropped it, but the one with the rock didn't," said witness Alice Rangel.
Police said the man instead charged at the officer, who retreated behind his patrol car while giving numerous commands for the suspect to drop the rock. The man raised the rock to strike the officer, so the officer fired his weapon to prevent the suspect from striking him, according to a police statement.
"We believe the officer fired at least three shots," said Grand Prairie police spokesman Lyle Gensler.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The man shot by the officer was rushed into surgery.
Police have not identified the man who was shot, but said he is in his 30s and was shot once in the upper leg. He is expected to survive.
The officer involved, a 10-year police veteran, was placed on administrative leave for the next three days.
