Denton Police: Suspect Wielding Cleaver, Frying Pan Shot Dead At Apartment Near UNT
DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Police in Denton say a man who allegedly charged officers, with a cleaver and frying pan in his hands, has been shot dead.
Officials say the incident began just before 3:00 a.m. at The Forum at Denton Station, an apartment complex in the 200 block of Inman Street.
Dispatchers with 911 received several calls from residents saying a man was banging on doors, yelling for someone to let him in. The callers also reported the man had a frying pan in his hand, "and that he was shattering all of the light fixtures" in the breezeway.
When officers arrived at the complex, less than two miles from the University of North Texas, and began searching for the suspect, a man came out of an apartment and according to officials "immediately began advancing down the stairs toward the officers."
Officers say they saw the man had a "cleaver and a frying pan in his hands" and gave him multiple commands to drop the weapons, but he didn't. Police then took more aggressive steps to try and stop the man by firing a taser.
"The taser, initially, was effective. He dropped down to the ground but almost immediately stood back up. They [officers] tried a second cycle of the taser, [it] again was ineffective, " explained Denton Police Chief Frank Dixon. "Then he charged full-on, at some point stabbing an officer in the shoulder. And then we had a separate officer discharge his firearm more than once -- striking him."
It wasn't until officers were busy calling for assistance and performing life saving measures on the suspect that they discovered the officer had been stabbed.
Both the suspect and the injured officer, whose names have not been released, were taken to a local hospital. The suspect was pronounced dead on arrival. The injured officer, who is new to the department but has more than 10 years law enforcement experience, has non-life threatening injuries.
The officer who shot the suspect will be placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation, which is being handled by the Texas Rangers.
