On July 6, at approximately 9:15 a.m., the Garland Police Department responded to a report of an aggravated robbery in progress at a convenience store in the 100 block of East Buckingham Road. The caller said there was a male inside the store behind the counter with the clerk holding a knife.
When officers arrived and entered the store, they observed a male standing behind the counter holding a knife. He began yelling at the officers to kill him. Officers could not see anyone else standing behind the counter.
At one point, the male made this statement of “Kill me or I’m gonna kill this man,” and made a quick movement to the floor. Officers quickly approached the counter and observed the male suspect on the ground holding the store clerk. The suspect held the clerk around his head, held his body close to his own, and wrapped his legs around the clerk while lying on the ground and holding a knife in his right hand near the clerk’s chest and neck.
The suspect repeated numerous times “Kill me or I’m gonna kill this man.”
Officers immediately began pleading with the suspect to drop the knife or let the clerk go. He refused and asked officers for their gun so that he could kill himself.
The officers continued negotiations and de-escalation techniques for approximately 15 minutes attempting to peacefully end the situation. The suspect stated that he was not going to release the clerk because the officers would not shoot him if he let the clerk go.
The suspect then stood up and forced the clerk to his feet. The suspect held the clerk around the neck with his left arm and held the clerk’s body close while holding the knife near the clerk with his right hand. The suspect stopped talking with the officers and lowered the knife toward the body of the clerk at which time an officer discharged his duty weapon one time, striking the subject. As a result of the officers’ actions, the clerk, who was a 25-year-old Irving resident, was able to escape unharmed.
Due to the nature of the call, Garland paramedics were stationed nearby and transported the suspect to a local hospital where he remains in critical condition.
The suspect is identified as a 26-year-old Avery Norman.
Garland detectives, along with members of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Public Integrity Unit, responded to the scene to investigate according to standard procedures.
The 27-year Garland officer will be placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with departmental policy.
The investigation is ongoing.