In advance of the 3 p.m. press conference at Dallas Police Department headquarters during which the dash-cam video that Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway doesn't want you to see will be released, Mayor Tom Leppert weighed in on the incident briefly at this afternoon's State of the City address at the Hyatt. After rattling off several drops in crime statistics, he addressed the tape that has resulted in a criminal investigation on which the FBI's consulting.
"Now, of course, when you have 3,700 people, there are going to be times when a few take actions that unfortunately overshadow the good work that's being done by the rest. And, sadly, that appears to be the case with several Dallas officers you will no doubt hear about in the news today in their handling of the arrest of a suspect just recently," Leppert said.
"I can tell you from what I've seen and heard this kind of behavior is absolutely, absolutely unacceptable. There is an investigation that's underway, and I'll tell you I am confident that our chief, Chief Brown, will be taking decisive action and appropriate action, and he will reinforce the integrity and the standards of the Dallas Police Department because in reality virtually all of the men and women of the Dallas Police Department do a terrific job."
Andrea's on her way to the presser to get a peek at what caused several officers to be placed on leave and could involve 22 officers, and I'll be back later with a recap of the rest of what Leppert had to say about taxes and the Trinity River Corridor Project, among other subjects.