Dallas, Texas — A lawsuit against two Dallas police officers, accused of failing to assist a driver who crashed during a pursuit, has been dismissed by a federal judge. The officers were initially pursued for allegations of misconduct after the driver they were chasing crashed into a tree and they reportedly did not render aid.
The dismissal was decided by U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay on March 6, ending the claims brought forth by Tomyia Crenshaw. Judge Lindsay’s ruling came after a magistrate’s review suggested that the actions of officers Leonard Anderson and Darrien Robertson did not constitute a seizure under the Fourth Amendment. Additionally, the magistrate found that the officers were not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment to provide aid following the termination of the pursuit.
The magistrate further concluded that the city of Dallas was not liable on municipal grounds as Crenshaw’s situation did not demonstrate a plausible constitutional violation linked to any city policies.
According to official reports, the incident unfolded in the early hours of May 13, 2022, when Anderson and Robertson noticed a vehicle departing a convenience store without its headlights on. They attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver accelerated and a brief chase ensued. Due to Dallas Police Department policy on pursuing only violent felony suspects, the officers quickly ceased their pursuit.
Despite terminating the chase, dashcam footage revealed that immediately after the officers turned off their pursuit lights, the car jumped a curb and crashed near Martin Luther King Boulevard. Security cameras in the area captured the vehicle speeding through a stop sign, narrowly missing a pedestrian before the driver lost control.
Notably, neither officer stopped to assist the crash victim immediately post-accident. Surveillance later showed the police vehicle returning to the crash site after the car caught fire, only to find civilians aiding the injured driver amidst the wreckage.
The public response was strong when the officers’ dashcam audio was later publicized, capturing their brief exchange acknowledging the crash but attributing fault to the driver. This incident significantly embarrassed the Dallas Police Department, prompting then-Chief Eddie Garcia to express his shock and disapproval of the officers’ actions. Garcia praised the civilians’ response while acknowledging the misconduct did not represent the department’s values.
Although the lawsuit has been dismissed, the repercussions of the event lingered within the department. Officer Anderson was terminated and Robertson faced a 30-day suspension; however, both disciplinary actions were eventually reversed. Currently, Robertson serves in the Northeast Patrol, and Anderson is with the Property Unit.
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