Ever since 25-year-old Clinton Allen was shot and killed by Officer Clark Staller, Allen's family has been calling for action against the officer and the Dallas Police Department. Collette Flanagan, Allen's mother, filed an ethics complaint against police Chief David Brown claiming that DPD never informed the FBI about Allen's death. It's been DPD policy to alert the FBI civil rights office about any and all officer shootings since the shooting death of James Harper late last year.
But this morning a preliminary panel of the Dallas Ethics Advisory Commission dismissed the complaint. Not because both DPD and the FBI confirm that the department does in fact report all officer-related shootings, but because Flanagan isn't technically a Dallas resident. She lives in DeSoto, and the regulations for ethics complaints require that the person filing the complaint either live in Dallas or have some business dealings there.
"That's the jurisdictional requirement for filing an ethics complaint," says City Attorney Tom Perkins.
See also: Dallas Police Chief Announces Policy Shifts After Fallout from James Harper Shooting
So Flanagan has no grounds to bring an ethics complaint, despite the fact that the incident happened in Dallas and involved a DPD officer. The FBI has confirmed that DPD has indeed been contacting them about officer shootings, Allen's included.
The incident happened at an apartment complex in March, where police say Allen was threatening his girlfriend before trying to choke Staller. He shot Allen multiple times. Staller is currently working a desk job.
But Flanagan is undeterred and intends to continue fighting. "I told them from day one: This is my only son," she told the Morning News. "I'm not going away."
