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A Mexican national accused of grabbing a Dallas school police officer’s gun and shooting him after the officer stopped to help him has been indicted on a federal firearms charge, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Jose Santiago Pantoja-Morales, 27, allegedly shot the uniformed Dallas Independent School District (DISD) police officer during an Aug. 6 struggle after the officer encountered him near the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, according to a federal complaint.
Pantoja-Morales, who prosecutors say was in the U.S. illegally, had allegedly jumped out of a co-worker’s car and into the freeway’s center median.
The co-worker flagged down the DISD officer, who was on routine patrol and offered Pantoja-Morales a ride to a nearby safe location.
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During the ride, prosecutors say Pantoja-Morales began rummaging through the officer’s bag in the back seat.
The officer pulled over and tried to remove him from the car, but Pantoja-Morales allegedly resisted, leading to a physical struggle.
During the fight, Pantoja-Morales allegedly grabbed the officer’s gun and fired once, striking the officer in the femoral artery of his right leg, according to the complaint.
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Despite being wounded, the officer regained control of his gun. Pantoja-Morales ran from the scene and was quickly apprehended by law enforcement, prosecutors said.
Another DISD officer provided medical treatment at the scene before the wounded officer was taken to Parkland Hospital for further treatment.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment Sept. 16, charging Pantoja-Morales with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
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“The illegal alien’s alleged actions in this case represent an attack on the rule of law and a direct threat to public safety,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a news release. “Every day, we ask the men and women who wear the badge to stand between good and evil. It is my duty — and the duty of this office — to do all we can to protect those who protect us.
“Violence against an officer will not be tolerated, and we will pursue this prosecution with the utmost rigor to ensure full accountability.”
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Pantoja-Morales is awaiting transfer to federal custody under a writ of habeas corpus filed Wednesday. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
The ATF Dallas Field Office and Dallas Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadin-Sarah Salkic is prosecuting it.