15 year-old shot and killed by DART police officer; department’s first ever fatal shooting
Another young black male has died at the hand of gunfire, this time by a Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police officer. 15 year-old Bobby Walker was fatally shot around 3:20 a.m. on Sunday morning at the Ledbetter Station near the VA Hospital.
According to Monday's Dallas Morning News article, the Carter High freshman "leapt from the bushes" and attacked DART officer Stephanie Branch before being shot by officer Niksha Owens. Walker was pronounced dead at Methodist Dallas Medical Center about 4 a.m.
I don't want to rush to any judgments here, so I have a few questions:
1. Did the 2nd officer try to physically intervene before resorting to fatal gunfire?
2. Did the shooting officer at any point feel as if she had a non-fatal shot at the suspect without endangering the officer?
3. What is a 15 year-old boy doing out at 3:20 a.m.?
4. Shouldn't two police officers generally be able to subdue one juvenile suspect?
5. What was the ethnicity of the two officers? It ALWAYS matters.
I will reserve commentary for a later date , but for now I pray for the families of Bobby Walker and the officer who fatally shot him.