VIDEO: Man Killed Texas Officer in Ambush After Stealing Gun from Local Home
The man police say fatally shot a decorated North Texas police officer Tuesday stole the gun during a home burglary before luring police into an ambush, Euless Chief of Police Michael Brown said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Brown identified the killer Wednesday as 22-year-old Jorge Gonzalez, a Euless man with a long rap sheet and well known to Euless police.
During a news conference Wednesday, Brown said Gonzalez had been in the city's temporary detention facility after being arrested for public intoxication on Feb. 29. He was released at about 11:30 Tuesday morning, March 1, after being given community service.
After his release, Euless police said Gonzalez broke into a home near Carr Park and stole several weapons -- handguns and at least one high-powered rifle. Then, Gonzalez walked to the park and is believed to have begun firing rounds to lure officers into an ambush.
Three Euless officers were dispatched to the park and began searching for the armed person, reports NBC DFW.
"Unknown to our responding officers, the suspect had taken a position of cover in a drainage ditch," Brown said. "The spot was somewhat below ground and isolated."
Police said he was there to kill as many police officers as possible, and succeeded in killing Officer David Hofer.
"It is our belief, based upon the facts known to us, that the suspect took this position to ambush responding officers. Three officers initially responded to the scene during the search of the park," Brown said.
