Mexican man indicted on federal gun charge after Dallas ISD officer shot near Sam's Club, prosecutors say

A 27-year-old Mexican man has been indicted on a federal firearms charge after authorities say he grabbed a Dallas ISD police officer's gun and shot him in the leg during a struggle in August.

Jose Santiago Pantoja-Morales is charged with possession of a firearm by an undocumented immigrant, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas.

The officer, identified as 39-year-old Justin Jones, was shot and injured in the parking lot of a Sam's Club in Northwest Dallas.

"An officer who was simply doing his job was violently attacked and shot," said Brian Garner, ATF Dallas Field Division special agent in charge. "This case underscores the danger law enforcement officers face every day and the consequences when a firearm is placed in the hands of someone who is prohibited from possessing one."

"Every day, we ask the men and women who wear the badge to stand between good and evil," U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said. "It is my duty – and the duty of this office – to do all we can to protect those who protect us. Violence against an officer will not be tolerated, and we will pursue this prosecution with the utmost rigor to ensure full accountability."

Federal authorities say the shooting happened Aug. 6 after Pantoja-Morales left a co-worker's vehicle and ended up in the median of LBJ Freeway.

According to a federal complaint filed Aug. 13, the co-worker contacted a Dallas ISD police officer who was patrolling nearby. The officer picked up Pantoja-Morales and drove him toward a safer location.

Investigators say Pantoja-Morales began looking through the officer's bag while they were in the vehicle. The officer pulled over and attempted to get him out of the vehicle, and the encounter turned into a struggle.

Authorities allege Pantoja-Morales got hold of the officer's gun during the confrontation and fired it once. The bullet struck the officer in the right leg and damaged his femoral artery.

The officer was able to take the gun back. Pantoja-Morales ran from the scene but was taken into custody a short time later, according to federal authorities.

A second Dallas ISD officer treated Jones at the scene before he was taken to Parkland Hospital.

Sammy Garcia, who was inside the Sam's Club with his daughter and granddaughter, told CBS News Texas that police kept shoppers inside the store for about 40 minutes.

"They were very nervous, very scared, of course. Never been in a situation like this," Garcia said.

CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.