Dallas officers fatally shot a man wanted on felony warrants Monday near Southwest Center Mall after he pointed a gun at them, police said.
Multiple officers fired at Michael Mayo, 30, after he led them on a stop-and-go chase through the Red Bird area early in the afternoon.
Deputy Chief Gil Garza said officers found Mayo and a woman whose name was not released sitting in a red sedan about 1:20 p.m. in a motel parking lot in the 3300 block of the Marvin D. Love Freeway.
The officers spoke to Mayo and said they smelled marijuana coming from the inside of the car, Garza said. They checked his name and license plates and came back with a felony warrant for probation violation and a bulletin that the car’s occupants might be armed and dangerous.
A police spokesman said the officers tried to coax Mayo out of the car, but didn’t tell him he was under arrest. They got a helicopter in the area, police said.
Garza said Mayo suddenly put his car in reverse when additional officers arrived. The woman bailed out of the car, and Mayo sped off, nearly hitting an officer.
The woman was taken to headquarters for questioning.
Police pursued Mayo, who came to a complete stop multiple times during the chase. He eventually got to the Southwest Center Mall parking lot and jumped out of the car holding a gun to his own head, police said. Then he ducked back in and shut the door again.
“Officers tried again and again to get him to surrender,” Garza said.
Then, about 15 minutes later, he got out of the car once more and quickly fell to the ground near the driver’s door.
“The officers saw the threat, and that’s when they took action,” he said.
Witnesses said the man pointed a weapon at police before he was shot.
“He kept getting out of the car,” said Tedrick Williams, 37. “The last time, he got out and pointed his gun at them, and that was it.”
Mayo’s body was covered but still visible outside the car for hours afterward — even when it started raining. And a black object — possibly the gun that police later recovered — lay near his outstretched arms.
Lisa Chambers said the man appeared to have something wrong with him.
“They gave him ample enough time,” she said. “He was just kind of playing with them.”
She said she didn’t know how many shots were fired — all she heard was a loud boom and smoke, and didn’t see the man.
Ronnie Watson, 54, said he saw the man from across the street after pulling over while “being nosy.”
“As soon as he stood up, they popped him,” he said.
Mayo has been convicted of various drug possession charges in the past. Records show he also had his probation revoked for a 2009 burglary of a habitation conviction.
The standoff attracted passers-by in the area, some of whom recorded video on their cellphones, Garza said. He asked that anyone with video or information about the shooting call homicide detectives at 214-671-3661.
Copyright 2014 - The Dallas Morning News
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
