A Mexican national has been indicted after a police officer was shot with his own firearm in Texas.
U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould just announced that a grand jury has indicted Jose Santiago Pantoja-Morales, 27, for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
On Aug. 6, Pantoja-Morales jumped out of a co-worker’s vehicle and ran into the center median of the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway in Dallas, according to a criminal complaint.
A Dallas Independent School District officer encountered Pantoja-Morales and offered to give him a ride to a secure location away from the highway.
During the journey, Pantoja-Morales allegedly began rifling through the officer’s bag in the back seat of the patrol car.
The officer stopped and attempted to remove Pantoja-Morales from the vehicle, triggering a physical struggle.
The Mexican reportedly grabbed the officer’s gun and fired a shot that struck the officer in the femoral artery of his right leg.
The officer recovered his weapon from Pantoja-Morales, who then fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by other officers.
Pantoja-Morales is pending transfer to federal custody and faces up to 15 years in federal prison if convicted.
“The illegal alien’s alleged actions in this case represent an attack on the rule of law and a direct threat to public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Raybould.
“Every day, we ask the men and women who wear the badge to stand between good and evil. It is my duty—and the duty of this office—to do all we can to protect those who protect us. Violence against an officer will not be tolerated, and we will pursue this prosecution with the utmost rigor to ensure full accountability.”
