WATCHING FOX FOUR NEWS. WE AS POLICE DEPARTMENTS, WE’RE FEVER REDUCERS NOW. WE REDUCE THE FEVER. WE’RE NOT A CURE TO THE ILLNESS. FORT WORTH POLICE CHIEF ADDRESSING THE VIOLENCE AFTER A DEADLY WEEKEND THAT LEFT DETECTIVES LOOKING INTO FOUR SEPARATE HOMICIDES SINCE ONLY FRIDAY.
GOOD EVENING, I’M CLARICE TINSLEY. THREE PEOPLE DIED IN THREE SHOOTINGS, AND ONE TEEN WAS KILLED IN A STABBING. ONE OF THE SHOOTINGS HAPPENED INSIDE THE SOCIAL LIFE BAR IN THE CITY’S POPULAR WEST SEVENTH ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT. A 31 YEAR OLD MAN WAS KILLED. FIVE OTHER PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED.
DETECTIVES SAY THAT CASE WAS POSSIBLY GANG RELATED AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS STEPPED UP PATROLS. POLICE CHIEF EDDIE GARCIA SAYS THE TABC HAS SUSPENDED THAT BAR’S LIQUOR LICENSE TEMPORARILY. HE ALSO SAID OVERALL CRIME IS DOWN ACROSS THE CITY, AND THAT THIS PAST WEEKEND IS NOT A TREND. FOX FOUR’S DIONNE ANGLIN JOINS US WITH THAT. AND DEON, ALSO, YOU’VE GOT A CLOSER LOOK AT ONE OF THIS PAST WEEKEND’S CRIMES WHERE A GAS STATION CLERK WAS MURDERED.
THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT, CLARICE. AND THE NEW POLICE CHIEF HERE AT FORT WORTH PD ADDRESSED THESE ISSUES. HE URGED THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP PERSPECTIVE. THREE DEADLY SHOOTINGS AND A FATAL STABBING IN FORT WORTH. UNRELATED CRIMES ALL HAPPENING BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SUNDAY.
WE HAD ONE WEEKEND OF VIOLENCE. OVERALL, VIOLENT CRIME CONTINUES TO GO DOWN IN THE CITY OF FORT WORTH. IN HIS FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS OF CRIME CONTROL, NEW FORT WORTH POLICE CHIEF EDDIE GARCIA ATTEMPTS TO QUELL THE REACTION TO A BLOODY WEEKEND. AND IT HITS ME BECAUSE WE LOST LIVES. THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
IT HITS ME BECAUSE I’VE RIDDEN PATROL WITH THESE OFFICERS THAT CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY. ONE PERSON KILLED AND FIVE INJURED EARLY SUNDAY INSIDE THE SOCIAL LIFE BAR NEAR THE SEVENTH STREET ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AN AREA LONG UNDER SCRUTINY AND EFFORTS TO MAKE IT SAFER.
NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE. ABC SUSPENDED THE LICENSE FOR THAT ESTABLISHMENT FOR SEVEN DAYS. WE ARE LOOKING AT OTHER THINGS AS IF THEY’RE OPERATING WITH A DANCE HALL PERMIT.
SEPARATELY, AN 18 YEAR OLD WOMAN WAS FATALLY SHOT FRIDAY AFTERNOON IN A RESTAURANT PARKING LOT IN THE 5100 BLOCK OF WICHITA STREET. A 47 YEAR OLD WOMAN IS FACING CHARGES FOR THE SHOOTING, APPARENTLY RELATED TO A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. ALSO FRIDAY AFTERNOON, A 15 YEAR OLD STUDENT WAS KILLED AND HIS FATHER INJURED AFTER A STABBING. ANOTHER STUDENT, CLAIMING IT WAS SELF-DEFENSE, WAS ARRESTED. AND ON FRIDAY NIGHT, ANOTHER MURDER.
I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE THAT THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HIM. AND EASTCHASE PARKWAY GAS STATION EMPLOYEE, WHO WAS A RECENT MASTER’S DEGREE RECIPIENT, WAS SHOT AND KILLED, POLICE SAY, BY A SUSPECT, RICHARD FLORES. INVESTIGATORS SAY AFTER THE KILLING, FLORES WENT ON TO ATTEMPT A HOME INVASION.
A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE VICTIM, CHANDRA SHEKHAR POLI, TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE THEY’D KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. ALL I CAN SAY IS HE WAS A HARD WORKING MAN.
HE DIDN’T DESERVE TO HAVE A DEATH LIKE THIS. HE WANTED TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL LIFE FOR HIMSELF AND TRYING TO SUPPORT HIS FAMILY. MULTIPLE VICTIMS, MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS. POLICE CHIEF EDDIE GARCIA DEEPLY SADDENED AND KEEPING WHAT HE CALLS AN OVERALL PERSPECTIVE. CHALLENGES COME, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGING TIMES WILL COME.
THIS WAS A CHALLENGING WEEKEND. WE LOOK BACK AS A TEAM, PROFESSIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. NOW. CHIEF GARCIA ALSO SAID THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FOUR POLICE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED TO THIS VIOLENT WAVE WITH COMMENDABLE EFFORT, AND HE SAYS THEY CONTINUE TO WORK. THESE AND OTHER CASES WITH RESOLVE TO GET THOSE WHO.
