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DPD Gang Unit Officer Shot
Last Edited: Tuesday, 06 Jan 2009, 7:55 PM CST
Created: Tuesday, 06 Jan 2009, 6:56 PM CST
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A Dallas gang unit police officer was shot Tuesday evening while trying to serve a warrant.
Officials confirm the officer was at an apartment complex in the 4900 block of Wadsworth Drive at about 6:30 p.m. when he was hit.
He was transported to Baylor hospital, but his condition is still unknown. A crowd of fellow officers reportedly gathered outside the hospital to wait for news about his condition.
Dallas SWAT officers were called to the scene of the shooting. They arrested three suspects, but it is still unclear whether or not the shooter has been taken into custody.

A veteran police officer was shot and killed Tuesday night when he and other officers attempted to serve a felony warrant in Oak Cliff.
Dallas police Chief David Kunkle said Senior Cpl. Norman Smith was shot at the Oak Wood Place Apartments in the 4900 block of Wadsworth Drive just after 6 p.m.
Sgt. Gil Cerda said Smith was shot in the face. Smith was transported to Baylor Medical Center, where he later died, Kunkle said.
Police said about five to six officers with the gang unit were at the apartment complex serving a felony warrant for aggravated assault.
"They went to the front door, knocked on it and were met with gunfire," Lt. Andrew Harvey said.
Police did not announce who they were before they attempted to serve the warrant, Kunkle said. It was a method "to get suspects to come to the door without announcing they were police officers," he said.
A SWAT team cleared the apartment. Residents of nearby units were evacuated for several hours.
"It's dangerous out here," resident Maelaene Daniels said. "I don't like this."
She said her heart and prayers went out to the officer's family.
Kunkle said Wednesday would have marked Smith's 18th year on the Dallas force. He was on the gang unit for 14 years.
His wife, Lt. Regina Smith, is also a Dallas police officer and works in Kunkle's office.
"She is devastated, and I don't know if it would hurt worse if it was one of my family members," Kunkle said.
He said the couple met while doing what they love.
"They met when she was a young police officer," he said. "And Regina's a striking, beautiful woman; she's very beautiful, and was making an arrest in the county jail. And Norm was working there and camp up to her and said, 'You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.' And they had a love affair that started that day and never ended."
The Smiths have three children.
Police took three men into custody for questioning. No charges were filed as of late Tuesday night.
Smith is the 79th Dallas officer killed in the line of duty.
Smith was well-known throughout the department and in the community, Kunkle said.
"Norm was doing exactly what he wanted to do," Kunkle said. "He was a great, great street officer, and he had the heart of a warrior."

casingpoint wrote:Situations like this make it obvious why some PD's use their SWAT teams serve warrants.

KD5NRH wrote:

casingpoint wrote:Situations like this make it obvious why some PD's use their SWAT teams serve warrants.

Those are only for drug warrants. This was just a little ol' agg assault. Nothing to indicate the guy might be violent or anything like that.

Police identified the suspected shooter Wednesday as 26-year-old Charles Patrick Payne, who faces a capital murder charge.
The man wanted on a felony warrant was identified as William Jobe, 29, who was also in the apartment and was arrested. He is still being questioned. A third man in the apartment was questioned and released, police said.

Situations like this make it obvious why some PD's use their SWAT teams serve warrants.