An Arlington, Texas, police officer shot and killed a woman on Thursday but was aiming for a loose dog.
The unidentified officer was doing a welfare check Thursday afternoon and found Margarita Brooks, 30, passed out in a grassy area, according to Fox 4 News. As he called to her, a dog started barking and then ran towards him. The officer opened fire at the dog, but the woman was hit.
Brooks later died from the gunshot wound to the upper body after being transported to the hospital.
Her father is a fire captain for the Arlington Fire Department.
BREAKING: Arlington PD has just released the body camera of the moments an officer fatally shot a woman while aiming at a loose dog. https://t.co/5FbeH1P6hP pic.twitter.com/rGdZUWqJ2h
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) August 2, 2019
The police department released the officer’s body camera footage on Friday.
Arlington police did not reveal the officer’s identity but did say that he’s a 25-year-old Asian American who joined the Arlington Police Department in 2012. He has been placed on administrative leave after the shooting.
Police-related deaths have become a national issue in recent years, particularly involving black men.
Last month, the Justice Department opted not to charge New York City Police Department officer Daniel Pantaleo for the choking death of Eric Garner five years ago. The decision not to charge him attracted more headlines when protesters interrupted Wednesday night’s presidential debate to advocate for Pantaleo’s firing.
