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Off-Duty TX Officer Takes Down Mall Shooter without Firing Shot

During a press conference Wednesday evening, El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas said an off-duty officer, who was not identified, was already at the Cielo Vista Mall when the shooting started.

February 16, 2023

An off-duty El Paso, TX, police officer was able to end a shooting at a local mall by taking down the suspect without firing a shot Wednesday.

During a press conference Wednesday evening, El Paso Police Chief Peter Pacillas said an off-duty officer, who was not identified, was already at the Cielo Vista Mall when the shooting started, Fox News reports.

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Pacillas said police received calls of a suspect firing off several rounds, killing one person and wounding three others, at approximately 5:05 pm and the officer took a suspect into custody by 5:08 p.m.

Later in the press conference, Pacillas said it is unclear at this time if the suspect fired at the off-duty officer.

The police chief said officers from multiple departments, including the El Paso Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), U.S. Border Patrol and the local FBI responded to the "dynamic scene" at the mall and "quickly brought it under control."

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