Federal Indictment for Man Accused of Shooting Dallas School Police Officer

<p>Jose Santiago Pantoja-Morales, a 27-year-old Mexican national, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge after allegedly shooting a Dallas Independent School District (DISD) police officer during an incident on August 6. The indictment was announced by prosecutors on Wednesday.</p><p>Pantoja-Morales is accused of grabbing the officer’s gun during a struggle after the officer stopped to assist him near the Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway. According to a federal complaint, Pantoja-Morales had exited a co-worker’s vehicle and was in the freeway’s center median when the officer, who was on routine patrol, offered him a ride to a safer location.</p><p>While in the officer's vehicle, Pantoja-Morales reportedly began searching through the officer's belongings. When the officer attempted to remove him from the car, Pantoja-Morales allegedly resisted, resulting in a physical altercation. During this struggle, he allegedly fired the officer's weapon, hitting him in the femoral artery of his right leg.</p><p>Despite his injury, the officer managed to regain control of his firearm. Pantoja-Morales fled the scene but was apprehended shortly thereafter by law enforcement.</p><p>Medical treatment was administered by another DISD officer at the scene before the wounded officer was transported to Parkland Hospital for further care. A federal grand jury indicted Pantoja-Morales on September 16 for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.</p><p>U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould commented on the case, stating, "The illegal alien’s alleged actions in this case represent an attack on the rule of law and a direct threat to public safety. Violence against an officer will not be tolerated, and we will pursue this prosecution with the utmost rigor to ensure full accountability." Pantoja-Morales is currently awaiting transfer to federal custody and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted.</p><p>The investigation was conducted by the ATF Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadin-Sarah Salkic handling the prosecution.</p>