DALLAS – A Texas judge found a Dallas-area police officer not guilty of murder on Wednesday for fatally shooting the unarmed driver of a pickup truck that had been reported stolen.
Farmers Branch officer Michael Dunn was acquitted in the 2019 killing of Juan Moreno, 35, after taking the witness stand during a three-day trial in which video was shown of the pickup truck swerving past the police SUV. The case was decided by a judge rather than a jury at the defendant's request.
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Dunn, 47, testified that he opened fire in self-defense, fearing Moreno was going to drive into him moments after he stepped out of his police cruiser. Prosecutors contended Moreno did not pose a threat.
Judge Mike Snipes issued the verdict after deliberating for less than half an hour. Dunn, who's been on administrative leave from his suburban police department since the shooting, faced a sentence of up to life in prison if he had been convicted.
An attorney for Dunn did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said in a statement that his team “presented all of the evidence we had” and respects the judge's decision.
Dunn was indicted two weeks after the June 2019 shooting outside a Dallas shopping center. The officer had followed a white pickup truck reported stolen from the nearby city of Irving and was exiting his cruiser as Moreno was pulling out of the parking lot.
Surveillance video shows Dunn firing into the driver’s side of the truck as it makes a sweeping turn around his vehicle.
Moreno’s family brought a civil suit against Dunn and his department. That action was paused pending the outcome of the criminal case.