A neighborhood grievance at Dallas City Hall Wednesday about an in a single day police operation drew a private go to from Chief Eddie Garcia.
Resident Willie Mae Coleman mentioned she was woke up from sleep by a crowd of officers outdoors her residence on York Street within the Bertrand neighborhood of South Dallas round 1 a.m. on May 17.
“It was horrible. I thought a war was coming, Bonnie and Clyde was back,” Coleman mentioned.
Her Ring doorbell digital camera recorded pictures of the flashing lights outdoors.
Her next-door neighbor Sophia Wigfall mentioned her husband was handled unfairly by the officers who searched her home.
“He come out with his hands up, they got him, they tackled him, they handcuffed his feet and his hands, brought him in the middle of the street,” Wigfall mentioned.
Coleman went to Wednesday’s Dallas City Council assembly to complain.
“This is going to be a long hot summer. I’ve been fighting crime for a long time,” she mentioned. “You need to work with us.”
Her look introduced a private go to Wednesday from Police Chief Eddie Garcia.
An image of Garcia and Coleman was posted on social media.
“I want them to know we are here and cooperate with us and have the same feeling for us that you have in other parts of the city,” Coleman mentioned. “You instructed us to name 911, and we name and we are saying, ‘We hear gunfire.’ And they are saying, properly ‘What color car is he driving, what’s he obtained on.’ I say I’m up underneath the mattress, how may I do know what he’s driving, we scared to loss of life.”
Coleman mentioned Garcia promised to comply with up on her issues and get again to her.
Garcia mentioned he considered police physique digital camera recordings of the May 17 response.
“I saw a lot of professional officers. Yes, there was police activity that needed to be done,” Garcia mentioned.
In neighbor Sophia Wigfall’s yard, Garcia mentioned a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter had noticed a suspect who was being pursued by Mesquite Police. That was the rationale for detaining and questioning Wigfall’s husband.
Garcia mentioned the precise suspect was captured and arrested hiding in bushes close by.
“I certainly understand where their frustration and fear is but unfortunately, our men and women have to do a very difficult job to keep our residents safe and unfortunately this fleeing suspect wanted to go into this neighborhood and that’s what brought our officers there,” Garcia.
The new Dallas Police Chief mentioned he’ll keep in contact with Willie Mae Coleman.
“She was a beautiful girl. I’m trying ahead to visiting her once more and taking a look at how we will make her neighborhood safer.”
Willie Mae Coleman mentioned she has been in contact with each Dallas police chief over time about crime points in her space and he or she was inspired by Garcia’s go to.
“It makes me feel that he cares, he understands and maybe he can work it out,” Coleman mentioned.