4 officers shot in South Dallas

11:08 AM CST on Thursday, February 16, 2006
By KIMBERLY DURNAN / DallasNews.com



Four experienced Dallas SWAT officers were shot with a high-powered rifle as they attempted to serve a warrant for federal drug agents Thursday morning in the Red Bird area.

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Three adults and a juvenile were taken into custody, police said.

The officers were being treated at Parkland Memorial Hospital. They were identified as Sr. Cpl. Dale Hackbarth, who has spent 21 years with the department; Sr. Cpl. Adolfo Perez, 10 years; Sr. Cpl. Harry Deltufo, 16 years; and Sgt. Kenneth Wilkins, 24 years.

It was unclear who suffered which injuries, but police had reported that one was shot in the chest and arm; one in the hand; and a third’s ear was wounded. They were all in fair condition. A fourth officer was shot in the upper thigh and was in serious condition, police said.

At a news conference at Parkland, Chief David Kunkle said the officers were able to talk and "in good spirits."

Wounded officers

Sr. Cpl. Harry Deltufo
Service time: 16 years
Injury: ear

Sr. Cpl. Dale Hackbarth
Service time: 21 years
Injury: leg

Sr. Cpl. Adolfo Perez
Service time: 10 years
Injury: chest

Sgt. Kenneth Wilkins
Service time: 24 years
Injury: hand

"They're still doing medical tests, but it appears there may have not been any broken bones or permanent injuries associated with the gunshot wounds," he said, noting that they all had worn vests and helmets. "We believe we were very, very fortunate, because it appears that all of the injuries are very, very treatable."

Police said the officers were attempting to serve a warrant with the Drug Enforcement Administration during what is known as a "knock and announce" operation at a one-story brick home in the 1200 block of Oak Park Drive.

They arrived at the home, which is surrounded by a 6-foot iron fence, about 6:50 a.m. in an armored personnel carrier. Then they announced via loudspeaker that they were going to deliver the arrest and search warrant. As the officers approached the door, shots were fired from inside the house.

"We’re trying to determine right now if one individual was shooting or more," Lt. Rick Watson said.

An officer drove the vehicle between the downed officers and the house and pulled them to safety. Then a chemical agent was released into the house to flush them out, Lt. Watson said.

Another police official, who did not wish to be identified, noted that the officers already had been to the home of an associate. When the police pulled up in front of the Oak Park home, "they felt that he knew they were coming," she said.

"The officers did return fire," she said.

One suspect was injured and taken to Methodist Hospital, police said.

Neighbors described being awakened to gunshots.

"I heard three or four gunshots back to back," said neighbor Teresa Duran, 38. "I was like, ‘Wait. You never hear that around here.’ Then I heard more shots. Then I thought, ‘Wait. That’s no flat tire.’"

Levette Grant, 25, lives directly across the street from the home where the shooting took place.

“Pop. Pop. Pop. It sounded just like firecrackers. I went outside, but they told me to go back in and I watched from my dining room window,” she said. “I saw one officer crouched over my brother’s car holding his wrist and there was blood.”

Neighbors said the people who lived at the home were quiet. They estimated the boy’s age at 9.

“The little boy’s out all the time,” Evelyn Booker said.

Lt. Watson said the DEA agents were in the van but were not executing the warrants and were not injured. He said he did not know why the officers were using the technique of announcing themselves.

"It is very dangerous not having the element of surprise," he said. "You don’t know what’s on the other side of the door."

Chief Kunkle said he believed this was the fifth incident since Christmas and the third in about two weeks in which suspects armed with rifles have shot at officers when they approached homes. This operation would be reviewed and critiqued, he said.

"We do it different ways depending on circumstances," Kunkle explained. "The officers didn't want any confusion that they were police officers executing a warrant early in the morning, so they announced their presence both in English and Spanish so there would be no confusion."

Dallas Morning News staff writers Tanya Eiserer and Jason Trahan contributed to this report

Good thing it wasn't one of those 'no-knock- warrants, or someone could have gotten hurt

Hopefully everyone returns with no permanent injuries

Damn.I wonder if this will be on an episode of dallas swat?

Quoted: Damn.I wonder if this will be on an episode of dallas swat?

+1

Prayers sent for a speedy recovery

Be Safe

Of course, GD has now turned this topic into a pro-drug legalization thread.

Quoted: Good thing it wasn't one of those 'no-knock- warrants, or someone could have gotten hurt

What is the point of your comment?

Quoted: Quoted: Good thing it wasn't one of those 'no-knock- warrants, or someone could have gotten hurt What is the point of your comment?

If memory serves, Sparky is a copper. So in that context, I assume he is validating the purpose of the no-knock--surprise and violence of action. As opposed to the "knock and announce" as happened here....

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Good thing it wasn't one of those 'no-knock- warrants, or someone could have gotten hurt What is the point of your comment? If memory serves, Sparky is a copper. So in that context, I assume he is validating the purpose of the no-knock--surprise and violence of action. As opposed to the "knock and announce" as happened here....

That's how I read it, too. No-Knocks are best for minimizing risk of armed resistance and for preserving evidence when serving a warrant on a location known for such tendencies.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Good thing it wasn't one of those 'no-knock- warrants, or someone could have gotten hurt What is the point of your comment? If memory serves, Sparky is a copper. So in that context, I assume he is validating the purpose of the no-knock--surprise and violence of action. As opposed to the "knock and announce" as happened here.... That's how I read it, too. No-Knocks are best for minimizing risk of armed resistance and for preserving evidence when serving a warrant on a location known for such tendencies.

OOhhhhhhh......satire, never mind.  After the path that this story has taken in the cesspool known as GD I missed it.  Seriously, to impune the shooting of four Officers by ridiculing their actions and the laws that they swore to protect is a pretty low life thing to do.  Some of those guys should try to walk upright and quit dragging their knuckles.

damn ...at least they are alive!

TxLawDog, what the drug legalization crowd fails to see is the damage that one persons drug use brings to an entire household. Even I would be fine with it, if the user lived in a vacuum, but they don't. They lie, and steal, and beat their wives and that shit won't fly. Fuck GD, half the discussions in there are worthless.

I was watching Dallas SWAT last night. I don't know if they are the same guys that got shot up or not, but those guys seemed professional, and caring, and generally good dudes. That someone whould shoot them so he could keep selling crack is fucking evil.

/rant

Quoted: TxLawDog, what the drug legalization crowd fails to see is the damage that one persons drug use brings to an entire household. Even I would be fine with it, if the user lived in a vacuum, but they don't. They lie, and steal, and beat their wives and that shit won't fly. Fuck GD, half the discussions in there are worthless. I was watching Dallas SWAT last night. I don't know if they are the same guys that got shot up or not, but those guys seemed professional, and caring, and generally good dudes. That someone whould shoot them so he could keep selling crack is fucking evil. /rant

+1  Like the saying goes... "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye".  

Can't tell ya how many times I have personally witnessed the shoe being on the other foot when it comes to the "drugs don't really cause problems" issue.  Drug users will be quick to bitch about LEO's diggn' in their shit but let some fellow drug user not get his/her fair share of a hit on the crack pipe and man just watch them bitch.............then the drug user who got shorted really, really demands LEO involvement.  What a sight to behold.  Screw to GD.

Prayers to the officers and families...............

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Good thing it wasn't one of those 'no-knock- warrants, or someone could have gotten hurt What is the point of your comment? If memory serves, Sparky is a copper. So in that context, I assume he is validating the purpose of the no-knock--surprise and violence of action. As opposed to the "knock and announce" as happened here....

Bingo.  I've done my share of door kicking both on SWAT and as a narc, and I was aiming that sarcastic comment at all the armchair quarterbacks who scream bloody murder about no-knock warrants being the tool of Satan.   Speed and violence are your friends when serving drug warrants.  Mucking about gets people killed.  I always hated serving federal warrants for this very reason.

Got this e-mailed to me yesterday.

www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/02-06/0217swat.pdf


Glad everyone is OK.