On Wednesday, January 27, 2021 around 7:28 a.m., the Arlington Police Department responded to a radio call for assistance from an off-duty Arlington Officer who had just been assaulted and robbed at the QT, located at 901 E. Division Street.
The officer, employed since July 2018, is assigned to the East Patrol District. The officer’s shift ended at 7 a.m. and he was leaving work when he stopped at the convenience store to obtain fuel for his car.
The officer’s uniformed shirt was hanging in the rear passenger seat and his duty belt was inside the vehicle. The off-duty officer was armed with a second firearm as he began to activate the gasoline pump.
The officer saw a white 4-door passenger sedan, possibly a Mitsubishi Lancer, drive in the parking lot and eventually stop at the pump next to where he was located. There were several citizens and cars in the parking lot at this time in the morning. He saw four males in the car. At some point, three of the males exited the car and began to assault the officer and conduct a robbery.
The first suspect immediately punched the officer in the face. The second suspect struck the officer with a handgun on top of the head. The assault happened in a matter of seconds and the officer made the decision to not utilize his firearm and complied with the robbery.
None of the injuries were serious enough to require medical attention at a hospital and the officer is expected to be okay. The suspects obtained the officer’s wallet and personal mobile telephone. The suspects fled the scene in the car.
The department received notification from the Dallas Police Department that officers in their city conducted a traffic stop on the suspect car in the 2100 block of E. Ledbetter Drive at a convenience store. Officers located the Arlington Officer’s police identification in the suspect car and the vehicle was determined to be stolen.
The suspects are juveniles so their identifying information is not available. The department is unable to release video footage in this incident due to the suspect’s ages. Three of the juvenile suspects have been arrested and will be referred to the Tarrant County Juvenile Court.
“The information we have right now leads us to believe this was a crime of opportunity and the officer was not targeted based upon his affiliation with law enforcement,” said Chief of Police Al Jones. “Regardless, this armed robbery could have happened to anyone in our community so we are asking the public’s assistance in identifying those involved. We are grateful for our colleagues in Dallas who made a traffic stop and detained the teenagers implicated in this offense.”
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