Audio By Carbonatix
When the shooting occurred in June, it merited but a few paragraphs in a crime brief headlined, “19-year-old fires on gang officers, Dallas police say.” Today, though, the U.S. Attorney sends word that a federal jury found Rene Salazar, a member of the East Side Homeboys, guilty of two counts of assault on a federal officer and one count of possession of a firearm. He faces a max sentence of life in prison. Salazar’s trial took four days; it took the jury all of half an hour to convict.
According to federal prosecutors, on June 24, two U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement special agents and two officers from the Dallas Police Department’s Gang Unit were out rounding up gang members in East Dallas as part of something called Operation Community Shield. At about 9:45 that night, officers arrested one suspect near the intersection of Grandview and Santa Fe Avenues, about a block away from Woodrow Wilson High School. What happened after that? Jump for the U.S. Attorney’s narrative that led to Salazar’s arrest and prosecution.
The two DPD officers were in a marked squad car, wearing blue police uniforms with a badge on the
front, a “Dallas Police Department” insignia on the shoulder, and “GANG
UNIT” or “DALLAS POLICE” prominently displayed in large white letters on
the front and back of the uniform tops. The two ICE agents were driving
an unmarked government vehicle and were wearing body armor with the
words “POLICE ICE” prominently displayed on the front and rear. After
the arrested gang member was transported from the scene, the two ICE
agents and DPD officers remained at the scene to continue the
investigation. One DPD officer was inside the squad car and one ICE
agent was next to the car speaking with that officer. The other DPD
officer was located on the curb speaking with a citizen about an
unrelated incident, while the second ICE agent was near his vehicle
providing cover.A man, later determined to be Rene Salazar, drove down Grandview
Avenue, past the officers, in a gold four-door sedan with one other
passenger. Salazar stopped at the Grandview and Santa Fe Avenue
intersection, pointed a pistol out of the window and fired three shots
at the officers, before slowly turning onto Santa Fe Avenue and firing
approximately two additional shots at the officers. All four of the
officers took cover in order to avoid being hit by gunfire. The two ICE
agents and one of the DPD officers, drew their weapon, aiming at
Salazar, but were unable to safely return fire because of the densely
populated neighborhood. This intersection is just down the street from
Woodrow Wilson High School.The DPD officers jumped into the squad car and sped away in
pursuit of Salazar and soon thereafter, located the gold four-door
sedan, driving with its lights turned off, down Alton Avenue. The
officers chased Salazar to a residence in the 300 block of South
Henderson Avenue, where Salazar jumped out of the car and ran into a
residence.After waiting for additional support, officers went inside and
removed the other occupants of the house, for their own safety.
Officers located Salazar in the shower and arrested him. After
obtaining consent to search the house from Salazar’s father, officers
located the gun in the freezer.
