PO Cardan Spencer was terminated for violating the Department’s Deadly Force Policy and Patrol SOP regarding Mentally Ill Persons.
— Dallas Police Depart (@DallasPD) October 24, 2013
Officer Cardan Spencer has also been charged with aggravated assault for the incident caught on a security camera last week, in which Spencer fired upon Bobby Bennett. Spencer had claimed that Bennett came at him and his partner threateningly with a knife, but the video footage showed otherwise. After a disciplinary hearing this morning, Police Chief David Brown said “Officers are not above the law.”
The DPD’s Facebook page announced that the actions of the other officer at the scene, Christopher Watson, will also be investigated.
Mayor Mike Rawlings issued this statement about today’s decision: “I support our police force and believe Dallas has one of the best departments in the country. We must keep it pure of any perceptions of wrongdoing, and that’s exactly what Chief Brown has done by handling this investigation thoroughly and expediently.”
UPDATE, 4:25 p.m. DMN reports that the criminal case against Spencer will be referred to the grand jury. He’s not been charged with aggravated assault after all. They quote the president of the policemen’s union as claiming that a district judge refused to sign the arrest warrant.
