'We are hurting': Texas police officer — a husband and father of 3 — gunned down in 'ambush'



A Texas police officer — a husband and father of three — was fatally shot in the line of duty in an "ambush" Monday.

The Greenville Police Department stated in a press release that Officer Cooper Dawson initiated a traffic stop around 7:40 p.m. Greenville is about 75 minutes northeast of Dallas.

'We are heartbroken over the loss of Officer Cooper Dawson, who selflessly put his life on the line to serve and protect our community.'

The suspect reportedly fled the traffic stop, and Dawson allegedly pursued the suspect on foot.

Police noted that Dawson, 27, was "ambushed and shot multiple times" while pursuing the suspect.

Despite suffering critical injuries, Dawson reportedly "displayed exceptional courage, returning fire, and striking the suspect."

Following the shooting, both Dawson and the suspect were rushed to Hunt County Regional Hospital.

Dawson's condition was so severe that authorities had to airlift him to Medical City Plano where he later died.

Dawson's death reportedly was the first in the line of duty within the Greenville Police Department in more than 100 years.

The Dallas Morning News identified the alleged cop-killer as 25-year-old Christian Robert Sparger.

Citing Denton County court records, the Morning News said Sparger pleaded guilty last year to charges of aggravated assault and continuous violence in a separate case.

The paper also said Sparger was arrested in 2017 and 2018 for marijuana possession, public intoxication, and failure to identify as a fugitive with intent to provide false information.

"Officer Dawson was a highly respected member of the Greenville Police Department and had previously served with the Garland Police Department," Greenville Police stated. "His dedication to public service and his unwavering commitment to protecting the Greenville community will never be forgotten."

Before leaving the Garland Police Department in 2023, Dawson purportedly earned 10 certificates of merit, a dozen commendations, and two bars for saving a life.

Greenville Police Chief Chris Smith declared, "We are heartbroken over the loss of Officer Cooper Dawson, who selflessly put his life on the line to serve and protect our community. We ask that you keep Officer Dawson’s family, our department, and the Greenville community in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time."

According to KXAS-TV, Smith added, "We are hurting. We are hurting as a department. We are hurting as a community. Today, we honor him as a hero, a husband, a father, and a friend. The grief we feel is indescribable."

Smith also said, "We lost a good man today. He was an excellent officer. Today, we honor him as a hero, a husband, a father, and a friend. The grief we feel is indescribable."

Greenville Police displayed a squad car in front of its department in memory of Dawson.

At 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Greenville Police featured a procession of Dawson's remains through the city streets as a tribute to him.

Dawson also served with the U.S. Army National Guard.

Details regarding memorial services for Dawson's family will be announced in the coming days, police said.

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Crazy bodycam video shows suspect trying to flee cop on a lawnmower, getting tased — and it only gets worse for him



Newly released police bodycam video shows the moment a Michigan suspect tried to flee a police officer on a riding lawnmower. However, the suspect ended up getting tased and shooting himself in the hand.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office said an officer was dispatched to a property in Leoni Township.

'This was an unfortunate and certainly dangerous situation. Mr. Kerr was not well that day.'

In the bodycam video the sheriff's office released, Deputy Robert Henderson went to arrest 41-year-old James Mitchell Kerr III on a felony warrant for violating probation and two misdemeanor warrants on Sept. 19, according to WWJ-TV.

The bodycam video shows the officer approach Kerr — who is on a riding lawnmower.

The video — seen hundreds of thousands of times online — shows Kerr seemingly disregarding Henderson's multiple orders to get off the riding lawnmower.

The officer is seen running after Kerr, continuing to order him to "stop."

Once the officer wields a taser, the suspect finally stops the lawnmower.

Henderson warns: "You run, I'm gonna tase you, James."

Kerr is seen exiting the lawnmower, but he then picks up what appears to be a handgun from under the lawnmower's seat, according to WJBK-TV.

The officer tased the suspect, and he fell to the ground.

The officer screams, "Drop the gun!"

Video shows the suspect shooting himself in the hand.

Kerr reportedly was treated at a hospital for the gunshot wound and then released.

Kerr was charged Oct. 23 with assault with intent to murder, felony firearm, and resisting and obstructing police. He was released on bail.

If convicted, Kerr faces up to life in prison for the assault charge, up to two years for the felony firearm charge, and up to two years for resisting an officer.

Jackson County Sheriff Gary Schuette said, "This incident underscores how rapidly a seemingly routine encounter can escalate and the potential dangers deputies face daily. Thankfully, the deputy was unharmed, and the suspect did not sustain serious injuries."

Kerr's attorney, Philip Curtis, told the Detroit News, "This was an unfortunate and certainly dangerous situation. Mr. Kerr was not well that day, and I think it is more likely that he intended to harm himself, which is what happened. The deputy should be commended for so effectively defusing the situation before anyone was seriously injured. My client and his family are grateful for that."

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office conducted an internal investigation. The Michigan State Police conducted an independent criminal investigation, which cleared Henderson of any wrongdoing and indicated that no police policies were violated.

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Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua given 'green light' to shoot police officers: Reports



The violent Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua has given its members a "green light" to attack and shoot police officers, according to multiple reports.

The gang reportedly has notified members that it's open season on law enforcement officers in the United States, the New York Post reported, citing a government memo the paper said it obtained.

'Today’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization underscores the escalating threat it poses to American communities.'

The alleged memo from the Homeland Security Investigations office in Chicago advises staffers to be “vigilant” as they come across gang members or affiliates of the gang.

“Credible human sources from Colorado provided information on TdA [Tren de Aragua] giving a ‘green light’ to fire on or attack law enforcement,” read the alleged memo.

The memo reportedly added, “As you may know, we have a TdA presence here in Chicago, so please be vigilant as you encounter TdA members or affiliates during your investigative and operational activities."

The Post added that the intel from Colorado came through the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico.

The alert regarding the dangerous Tren de Aragua directive also was noted in a bulletin from the Colorado Information Analysis Center, Fox News reported. The cable network added that Albuquerque police had received the concerning information from "federal partners."

"The Albuquerque New Mexico Police Department (APD) has released this officer safety bulletin to notify law enforcement of information regarding the Tren De Aragua criminal organization and reports that TDA members in Denver have been given a 'green light' to fire on or attack law enforcement," the alleged bulletin read.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Tren de Aragua for "engaging in diverse criminal activities, such as human smuggling and trafficking, gender-based violence, money laundering, and illicit drug trafficking."

Brian Nelson, under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated on July 11 that “today’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization underscores the escalating threat it poses to American communities.”

Nelson vowed to "deploy all tools and authorities against organizations like Tren de Aragua that prey on vulnerable populations to generate revenue, engage in a range of criminal activities across borders, and abuse the U.S. financial system."

On the same day, the U.S. State Department offered up to a $12 million reward for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of the gang’s leaders.

Specifically the State Department offered rewards ranging from $3 million to $5 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Tren de Aragua leaders Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero, also known as ”Niño Guerrero,” Yohan Jose Romero, a.k.a. “Johan Petrica,” and Giovanny San Vicente, a.k.a. “Giovanny,” “Viejo Viejo,” and “El Viejo.”

Members of Tren de Aragua have infiltrated the U.S. by crossing the southern border illegally and asking for asylum.

As Blaze News previously reported, two illegal immigrants tied to Tren de Aragua were accused of attacking two NYPD officers in January.

A report released last month found that more than 100 criminal investigations in the U.S. are tied to Tren de Aragua.

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant accused of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, is reportedly a member of Tren de Aragua.

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'It was an ambush': Michigan sheriff's deputy, father of 3, shot dead as community deals with 'soul-crushing' loss



A Michigan sheriff's deputy – who is also a father of three young children – was shot and killed in an alleged ambush. Those in the community say the police officer's murder is a "soul-crushing" death.

Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy Bradley Reckling – a 30-year-old father of three – had been trailing a reported stolen vehicle on Saturday night in Detroit. The alleged stolen vehicle – a 2022 Chevy Equinox – was reportedly stolen earlier in the day from the Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights.

Reckling – a member of the department's auto theft unit – was following the car in an unmarked law enforcement vehicle.

Suddenly, the stolen vehicle reportedly stopped, the individuals exited the car, and shot Reckling.

“The car suddenly stopped. Individuals exited that stolen vehicle and opened fire on our deputy. It was an ambush. That obviously triggered a whole bunch of things. The deputy was struck in the head, struck in the chest, the torso area. At 22:50 the officer down call went out. Obviously Detroit police and MSP flooded the area very quickly I’d like to thank and commend them for that," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a press conference on Sunday.

Police arrested three individuals believed to have been involved in the murder ofDeputy Reckling.

Bouchard stated, "They were doing what they do, being good detectives running down a lead on a car that had recently been stolen and trying to locate it. They do that every day, and lots of times they find a car abandoned and they call for a tow truck. This situation turned out not to be that at all. And that's the other thing about this job. You don't know what day will become that day."

Reckling was married with three children ages 5, 4, and 1. He was expecting a fourth child with his wife before his sudden death.

Reckling had been with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office for nine years.

"You can just see in the faces and the eyes of our people how soul-crushing this is," Bouchard said.

Bouchard asked for prayers and donations to the Mission Oakland charity to financially support Reckling's family after his murder.

Bouchard added, "Our mission is to be there for them."

Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Morrison said of Reckling:

Brad was a loving husband, father, and amazing friend. He loved the outdoors. He was an amazing fisherman, loved to hunt, and enjoyed growing his farm and raising animals. Brad spent several months remodeling his home, giving his wife and three girls the best place to call home. Anyone who knew Brad knows it doesn’t take long for him to start cracking jokes and get him laughing. He was a great worker and amazing friend who would do anything for anyone. He was a prime example of what great parent, husband, and friends means, and he is loved by many and will be truly missed.

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Sheriff Bouchard Press Conference Regarding Deputy Bradley Reckling www.youtube.com

Bodycam video: Deputy shoots 7 abandoned dogs, sheriff's office says cop acted in 'professional and most humane manner'



Disturbing police bodycam video shows the moment that an Arizona deputy shot seven abandoned dogs. Despite many local residents being appalled by the lethal police shooting, the sheriff's office has defended the officer's actions and said he acted in "a professional and most humane manner given the circumstances."

Residents complained about abandoned dogs at a property in Adamana, Arizona — an unincorporated community about 100 miles east of Flagstaff. Neighbors said the dogs would attack their livestock.

Apache County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jarrod Toadecheenie – the responding officer – wrote in his incident report that the dogs were owned by a couple who were getting divorced and had abandoned the property.

Deputy Toadecheenie went to the abandoned property on Sept. 22, 2023.

Police bodycam footage shows seven emaciated and dehydrated dogs. The dogs don't appear to be aggressive toward the officer.

The deputy lures the starving dogs into a fenced area with food and water. The famished dogs feverishly gobble up the food.

The bodycam video originally obtained by the Mountain Daily Star shows the deputy exiting the fenced-in area and then putting on headphones.

Toadecheenie is heard saying, "Oh God. This is gonna suck."

As the dogs approach the officer with wagging tails, the deputy then proceeds to shoot the dogs one by one. Deputy Toadecheenie shot one dog two additional times because it continued to move.

Two of the abandoned dogs were able to escape and hid under a shed. They were later brought to a local animal shelter. One reportedly died of parvovirus shortly after arriving, and the other was adopted.

The bodycam footage shows the deputy dragging the lifeless bodies to his truck. He later dumped the dead dogs near railroad tracks, according to the incident report.

The grim video can be seen here.

"The deputy involved acted in a professional and most humane manner given the circumstances."

The Apache County Sheriff's Office defended the actions of Deputy Toadecheenie, and told KSAZ-TV:

The deputy involved acted in a professional and most humane manner given the circumstances. He exhausted all other alternatives available to him at the time and acted under the approval of his immediate supervisor. The incident was reviewed by ACSO Command Staff, and the Deputy was found to have acted within agency policy.

The sheriff's office explained that Apache County spans more than 11,00 square miles and does not have an animal care or control department. The Apache County Sheriff's Office said the county does not have the infrastructure or budget for an animal control department, which leaves just a "handful of deputies" to make "split-second life or death decisions and handle any situation they are confronted with in a professional manner within the law."

"Animals are dying everywhere in the county."

However, not everyone in Apache County agrees with the decision to shoot seven abandoned dogs.

Teresa Schumann – founder of the nonprofit Northern Arizona Animal Search and Rescue – told the Washington Post, "The Apache County Sheriff’s Office won’t do anything to fix the problem. Animals are dying everywhere in the county."

Schumann added, "They say they can't afford to do animal services, and I'm sorry, I don't believe that. There are plenty of people who are trying to help."

Schumann said the deputy had contacted her about taking the dogs before the deadly incident, but her facility did not have any room and she couldn't find homes for them. The deputy allegedly told her that he would "handle it."

In his report, Toadecheenie said Schumann told him that if the dogs were aggressive, they may have to be euthanized.

Schumann told KPNX, "I told him if the dogs were feral, we were going to have to try and find somebody that would be willing to work with these dogs. I said it takes a lot, but no, I never said they needed to be shot.”

However, Schumann said had she known the animals would have been shot and killed, she would have intervened.

As Blaze News reported last month, a disturbing police bodycam was released that showed a cop shoot and kill a "non-aggressive" deaf and blind 13-pound dog.

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Biden Falsely Tells College Grads Cops Are Killing ‘Black Men’ In The Streets. The Truth In ‘24 Is Much More Tragic

One was allegedly reaching for an officer's gun and the other was a convicted sex offender

Is Dexter Reed the next George Floyd?



After the Chicago police shooting of Dexter Reed, the left seems to have found its next George Floyd.

Reed, a 26-year-old black man, was pulled over by police officers for not wearing a seatbelt. After the stop escalated into an altercation where he pulled a weapon and fired on police officers, one cop was injured and Reed sustained fatal injuries.

“I think that the mainstream media is trying to turn this into, like, the new George Floyd,” Sara Gonzales says before reviewing the body cam footage — which tells a different story than the accepted narrative.

Reed is seen initially complying with an officer’s order to roll down his window before rolling it up and refusing to comply. When the officer attempted to get him to open his car door, Reed began shooting at officers.

“It’s a lot of shots being fired at the cops,” Gonzales notes.

Eric July believes it’s not as black and white as the media is painting it. “If we look at it with zero nuance,” he says, we’ll see that a “person got shot and killed over seat belt.”

“That’s how essentially it’s going to be worded, though that’s not entirely accurate, and it’s just a little bit more complicated,” he says, noting that to go from not complying to attempting to shoot and kill someone is never the right move.

“That is the ultimate, utmost escalation,” July says.

While July didn’t believe the cops' reaction was right either, he believes the media’s reaction makes it worse.

“I hate that the conversation immediately goes to race, because then at that point, what it does is absolve them of everything,” he explains.


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6 mainstream headlines about Dexter Reed's death + the REAL story



The following is a list of mainstream headlines regarding Dexter Reed, a 26-year-old black male who was killed on March 21 in Chicago:

  • Dexter Reed shot, killed by Chicago police after traffic stop —The Washington Post
  • Letters: Police shooting of Dexter Reed ‘reeks of fear, bias and poor training' —Chicago Tribune
  • Deadly Chicago traffic stop where police fired 96 shots raises serious questions about use of force —AP News
  • Wild video shows Chicago police fired nearly 100 shots in less than a minute during fatal traffic stop —New York Post
  • Why did Dexter Reed traffic stop, shootout with Chicago Police escalate so rapidly? —CBS News
  • Killing of Dexter Reed raises questions about Chicago police reform. ‘The message is, go in guns blazing’ —Chicago Sun-Times

“You might after seeing those headlines … think that the police just executed this young black man, which is what the left and the Democrats and the media would love you to think,” says Dave Rubin.

“Of course that is not true,” he continues, adding that “[Reed] shot first.”

He then displays a tweet from Ian Miles Cheong with more details regarding the incident:

“This was not an execution,” despite “how the mainstream media frames all of this,” says Dave.

To learn more, watch the clip below.


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DEI Activist Goes Quiet as Dr. Phil Debunks Her with Simple Logic

DEI Activist Goes Quiet as Dr. Phil Debunks Her with Simple Logic

Family outraged at Chicago police after black man who apparently shot at cops first was fatally struck by return fire



A family is demanding answers after their loved one — 26-year-old Dexter Reed — died after apparently firing on Chicago police officers during a traffic stop last month.

The traffic stop went awry almost immediately.

Around 3 p.m. on March 21, five members of a tactical unit with the Chicago Police Department pulled Reed over ostensibly because he wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

One officer ordered Reed to roll down his window. Reed, who was in the driver's seat, initially obliged but then almost as quickly began rolling the window back up again.

"Roll the window down," the officer demanded, according to police footage released Tuesday. "What are you doing? Roll that one down too. Hey! Don't roll the window, don't roll the window up. Do not roll the window up. Unlock the doors."

Soon afterward, Reed apparently produced a weapon and shot at an officer near the passenger door. How many shots Reed fired is unclear, but at least one of his bullets wounded the officer in the forearm, a statement from the Civilian Office of Police Accountability said. The officer's current condition is unknown.

The other four officers almost instantly returned fire on the suspect, unleashing a barrage of bullets in under 40 seconds. Reports have not stated whether Reed continued to fire his weapon during this time, but video evidence shows that he drove his car briefly forward, striking a parked car.

Reed then exited the vehicle and ran around behind it, though officers likely had no way of knowing he had left his gun in the front seat and was at that point unarmed. While he was standing near the left taillight of his SUV, Reed was hit several more times by police fire and collapsed to the ground before one officer fired three more shots, video showed.

Officers, all of whom were reportedly wearing street clothes, then apparently attempted to render aid. Reed was eventually transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"Review of video footage and initial reports appears to confirm that Mr. Reed fired first," the COPA statement said.

Despite Reed's apparent noncompliance and the evidence indicating that he started the gunfire, the family still believes the police response — 96 total shots — was unreasonable.

"Why did they shoot him them many times?" Reed's mother asked during an interview with CNN. "He's already dead. Why you starting shooting him like that?"

"They shot him down like an animal."

— (@)

Some have also raised questions about the pretense of the traffic stop and the officers involved in it. CBS 2 asked former Chicago Police First Deputy Supt. Anthony Riccio whether tactical units often initiate relatively mundane traffic stops. Andrea Kersten, COPA chief administrator, wondered in a letter last week whether "the officers could have seen this seat belt violation given their location relative to [the] vehicle and the dark tints on vehicle windows."

"[The incident] started with an unconstitutional, pretextual, and unnecessary stop," claimed an attorney representing the family.

COPA has called for four of the five officers involved to be suspended while an investigation into the matter continues.

On Tuesday night, Reed's younger brother, 24-year-old Julius Reed, was arrested during a protest that broke out near a Chicago police station after footage of the shootout was released. The younger Reed was charged with one count of misdemeanor battery and two counts of misdemeanor resisting arrest, prompting demands for his release on social media.

"He is #DexterReed's lil Bro & 20 Cops swarmed him last night, slammed him to the ground for no good reason & are currently detaining him!" tweeted GoodKidsMadCity, a race-based group that calls for abolishing police.

Whether Julius Reed remains in custody is unclear.

— (@)

Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also seemed to side with Reed's family over members of his city's police force. "As mayor and as a father raising a family, including two Black boys on the West Side of Chicago, I am personally devastated to see yet another young Black man lose his life during an interaction with the police," he said. "Our heart breaks for the family of Dexter Reed. They are grieving the loss of a son, a brother, and a nephew."

Others, however, suggested that return fire was inevitable once Reed apparently fired first. "You can't shoot a cop and expect not to get shot in return," former Chicago police officer Charles Ramsey said on CNN, noting he does have some concerns about the final three shots on Reed. "That's just the way it is."

Professor David Harris of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law made a similar statement to CBS 2. "If you fire at police, you should expect return fire," Harris said. "There's just no other way of looking at it."

Even CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez wrote in a since-deleted tweet, "The initial response from police here isn't so much what's in question. You get shot at, you shoot back."

Former Police First Deputy Supt. Riccio also noted that Reed was "carrying a gun unlawfully in his vehicle" and disobeyed officers' commands.

"You know, what was his intention?"

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