A special education teacher was fatally shot after attacking police with a makeshift knife during a burglary investigation in DeSoto, Texas, Fox News reported. Michael Nunez, who worked at Moises E. Molina High School in southwest Dallas, was behaving out of character, according to a longtime friend. Nunez, 47, was nowhere to be found when police arrived at the burglary scene, but he was later caught armed with a homemade weapon.
Special Education Teacher Attacks Officers!
Officials reported that Nunez charged at the officers and attempted to stab one of them, prompting the officer to fire his weapon. Life-saving measures were attempted, but Nunez was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigations are being conducted by the Grand Prairie Police Department’s Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation Team and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Division. The motive for Nunez’s behavior remains unknown at this time, and the officer who fired the fatal shot is on paid administrative leave, following police policy.
Nunez, a special education teacher had been employed by the Dallas Independent School District since 2003, and his behavior leading up to the incident was out of character, according to those close to him. The police have not yet stated whether they will release body-camera footage of the incident.
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What Causes the Special Education Teacher to Do Such Acts?
A longtime friend of Nunez, Jeremy Hass, described him as a good guy with an impeccable character, who was willing to help anybody. Hass had spoken to Nunez’s family after the fatal shooting, and they said he might have been struggling with his mental health in the days leading up to the incident. Nunez’s family stated that his behavior was out of character. According to Chris Huerta, a DeSoto police spokesperson, Nunez was arrested on Sunday evening for “throwing over trash cans” in a public park, and the Sunday night incident was the first time law enforcement encountered Nunez.
The DeSoto Police Department asked for the assistance of the Officer-Involved Shooting Investigation Team from the Grand Prairie Police Department and the Public Integrity Division of the Dallas County District Attorney in conducting the investigation. The two departments are conducting independent investigations, and Nunez’s motive for attacking the police remains unknown.
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