8:34 p.m. EDT March 16, 2016
DALLAS — An off-duty Dallas-area police officer was arrested Wednesday and charged with murder and aggravated assault in the shooting death of a 16-year-old suspect, authorities say.
Farmers Branch Police Officer Ken Johnson chased down two burglary suspects in his personal vehicle and opened fire on the teens, according to Chris Livingston, an attorney representing the officer. .
Jose Raul Cruz, 16, was killed and the other juvenile, who also was shot, was hospitalized.
Authorities say that Johnson was taken into custody Wednesday night by Addison, Texas , police officers and is being booked into Dallas County Jail.
The officer says he saw Cruz and Edgar Rodriguez breaking into his personal vehicle at an apartment complex in Addison in suburban Dallas. The suspects took off in a redDodge Charger , and he gave chase in his personal vehicle. Surveillance video taken during the chase appears to show Johnson bump the suspects' vehicle with his own, causing the suspects to spin out.
Moments after the vehicle was stopped, a witness took a video that also appears to show Johnson pointing a weapon at the vehicle. Police have not said if any weapons were found in the suspects' vehicle.
Johnson’s attorney has said he feared for his life. Johnson was not injured.
Farmers Branch Police Chief Sid Fuller said Johnson violated department policies in chasing the teens in his personal vehicle while he was off duty for what would have likely been a misdemeanor offense.
Fuller's department is handling the internal investigation in the case, while Addison police are in charge of the criminal investigation. Fuller said he was waiting for the criminal investigation to conclude before moving forward on any personnel matters.
Contributing: The Associated Press
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