Sandy MalonePlano, TX – An armed man was shot by officers on Sunday afternoon after he opened fire in the lobby of the Plano Police Department headquarters.
Officials said the incident occurred at about 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 29 after police received a report about a man acting erratically outside the police headquarters located in the 900-block of 14th Street, KDFW reported.
Police said the suspect, who was wearing a black shirt and mask, walked into the lobby of headquarters and then left.
Then he returned to the lobby a moment later with a handgun and started shooting at a civilian police employee who was in the process of assisting a visitor, KXAS reported.
“The subject raised the weapon in his right hand and fired in the direction of the civilian employee. At that time the civilian employee and citizen were able to escape to a side room,” Plano Police Department Spokesman Jerry Minton said.
Two officers quickly responded to the lobby and returned fire, KXAS responded.
“And officers that were actually located inside the police department at that time heard the shot, heard the commotion going in the lobby. They confronted the suspect and exchanged gunfire, striking the individual,” Minton said, according to KDFW.
The wounded suspect was transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries, KXAS reported.
His identity and medical condition have not been released to the public.
Shortly after the incident, officers found a car belonging to a murder victim in the parking lot of police headquarters, KDFW reported.
The car belonged to Lyft driver who was found shot to death in 400-block of Forest Gate Drive in Garland less than an hour earlier, KXAS reported.
The Plano police headquarters is located about 10 miles from where the woman’s body was found.
Police said the woman was on her way to pick up a passenger when she was killed.
Investigators were working to determine what led up to her murder, KDFW reported.
Police do not know of any connection between the murdered woman and the man who opened fire in the lobby of headquarters other than the fact the victim’s car was found at the scene of the second shooting, KXAS reported.
They have not yet officially linked the two crimes and the investigations into both are ongoing.
“It’s just a sad deal all the way around. A life was lost today and there could’ve been many more if it wasn’t for the heroic actions of the Plano Police Department,” Garland Police Department Spokesman Matt Pesta said.
Police said officers shot an armed man linked to a murder in Garland after he entered Plano Police Department headquarters Sunday afternoon and fired at people in the lobby. pic.twitter.com/ktaNqsnlaU
— RICHARD ROBERSON (@lilRichienews) August 30, 2021
Plano Mayor John Muns commended his police department in a statement.
“What could have been a horrific tragedy was avoided, thanks to the swift and effective action of our Plano police officers,” Muns said. “Chief Drain reports a man walked into our police headquarters building and fired a handgun. I applaud the response of the officers who responded who stopped a dangerous situation from taking a deadly turn that could have taken a turn for the worse, if not for their response.”
Holly Matkin