Ken Johnson, an officer with the Farmers Branch police force in Dallas County, has been arrested on charges of murder and aggravated assault in the fatal weekend shooting of Jose Cruz.
This is #JoseCruz. 16. Shot & killed by an off duty officer on Sunday. Officer was arrested last night for murder pic.twitter.com/Fu2Nj1c9Hp
Cruz, a 16-year-old Latino, was chased in a car by Johnson on Sunday. The officer was off-duty and suspected Cruz and another another boy named Edgar Rodriguez had attempted to break into a vehicle. Johnson then opened fire, fatally wounding Cruz and seriously wounding Rodriguez, who has since been hospitalized. Both Cruz and Rodriguez were unarmed.
"We're conducting the internal investigation," David Leisure, a public information officer at the Farmers Branch police department, told Mic. "[Johnson] has been placed on administrative leave in accordance with our departmental policy. He has no police credentials, no police powers at this time, pending the completion of internal affairs investigation."
Edgar Rodriguez is the other teenage suspect shot in Addison. Family says he's talking "somewhat." @wfaachannel8 pic.twitter.com/ai4KfNtfTD
Johnson has been released on bond. The case is one of several recent officer-involved shootings that has grabbed headlines, but is unique in that Johnson, the officer, is African-American, while the two shooting victims are Latino.
JoseCruz "Farmers Branch officer arrested for murder, assault in teens' shooting" http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/farmers-branch-officer-arrested-for-murder-assault-in-teens-shooting/85752529 ... pic.twitter.com/ZIUkpdUOB7
For many observers, the same familiar critiques of institutional racism still apply even though Johnson, the officer involved, is black.
Black cop, white cop, brown cop. Doesn't matter. A cop is a cop. And to a cop a minority is dangerous. #JoseCruz #BrownLivesMatter
Cruz was laid to rest on Thursday.
Procesión fúnebre de #JoséCruz joven asesinado por policía de #FarmersBranch pic.twitter.com/TrnfOBqNnB
