Senior Cpl. Ryan Mabry has been charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant, which is a first-degree felony, and three counts of official oppression, which is a Class A misdemeanor.
Mabry is accused of shooting David McKee, Brandon Saenz, and another unknown individual with less than lethal rounds of ammunition on May 30, 2020, in downtown Dallas. Saenz reportedly lost his eye after sustaining an injury by a less than lethal round.
Former Senior Cpl. Melvin Williams is also charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant and four counts of official oppression.
The district attorney has accused Williams of shooting McKee, Vincent Doyle, and another unknown individual on May 30, 2020, with less than lethal rounds of ammunition. He is also suspected of assaulting Jesus Lule in the Deep Ellum Entertainment District on July 18, 2021.
Local media reported that the incident involving Lule was caught on video.
“It is important to remember that these are pre-indictment criminal charges, and the charges will have to proceed through the Grand Jury process,” the district attorney’s office said in a press release.
“Senior Corporal Ryan Mabry has been on the department since January 2010 and is currently assigned to the Tactical Operations Division,” the police department wrote in a social media post. “He is on administrative leave pending the outcome of an Internal Affairs administrative investigation.”
DPD indicated that Williams was fired in January for “violating the department’s use of force policy.” Both Mabry and Williams were expected to turn themselves in to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday.
Police Chief Eddie Garcia has placed emphasis on improving the morale of Dallas police officers after turnover in leadership, the 2020 protests, and myriad other issues facing police.
In an interview the day before the announcement, The Texan asked Creuzot how he has navigated investigating police misconduct without seeming to target law enforcement.
“Well, first of all, I think that most officers do not relate to criminal conduct by their peers,” Creuzot told The Texan.
The district attorney explained that many cases of police misconduct do not involve criminal behavior and are handled administratively by Garcia and his staff.
“Then we get down to the smaller number of cases that [have] potential criminal liability. And I am certain that I have [Garcia’s] support in investigating those cases. He has my support,” Creuzot said.
“There’s no guarantee that you’re going to win any case, but we at least need to do our due diligence and be prepared as best we can and understand the issues if we’re going to go forward with a case.”
Elsewhere in Texas, as many as 18 police officers in Austin could be indicted for suspected misconduct during the 2020 protests and riots in the capital.
A copy of the press release announcing the charges can be found below.
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Hayden Sparks
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
