/Dallas police officer struck, killed by suspected drunk driver: Chief

Dallas police officer struck, killed by suspected drunk driver: Chief

“This young officer had such a bright future ahead of him,” the chief said.

A Dallas police officer was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver while working an accident scene overnight, the chief said.

“Our hearts are heavy right now. This young officer had such a bright future ahead of him,” Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said. “We asked that the community join us as we pray for the officer’s family. We would also like to extend that prayer to the brave men and women of this great department.”

At about 1:25 a.m., a 32-year-old man “driving at a high rate of speed” hit officer Mitchell Penton’s squad car, which had its emergency lights on, Dallas police said.

The impact caused the squad car to hit Penton, who was securing the scene of an accident, police said.

The driver was allegedly intoxicated and was arrested for intoxication manslaughter on a police officer and intoxication assault, police said.

Penton, an officer trainee who joined the department in February 2019, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The passenger in the suspect’s car was hospitalized “for trauma to her chest area and a laceration on her face,” police said.

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