North Texas law enforcement agencies have recorded more than 20 officer-involved shootings in 2026, a figure that has already exceeded the annual totals for several departments in the previous year. As the calendar year nears its conclusion, Dallas leads the region with 10 such incidents, followed closely by Fort Worth with eight. Irving has reported one incident so far this year.
In Dallas, the most recent event occurred in early August involving a Dallas ISD police officer. On Aug. 6, Officer Justin Jones responded to a report of a man walking in the median of Lyndon B Johnson Highway. The individual, identified as Jose Pantoja-Morales, voluntarily entered the police vehicle and was transported to a parking lot near a Walmart and Sam’s Club.
According to reports, Pantoja-Morales began removing items from the officer’s work bag. When Jones attempted to remove him from the vehicle, the man seized the officer’s firearm and shot him once in the leg before fleeing. Pantoja-Morales was arrested after a short pursuit, has admitted to the shooting, and faces charges of aggravated assault on a police officer.
Jones received a tourniquet at the scene, underwent surgery, and was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 19.
Fort Worth has experienced eight officer-involved shootings since the start of the year, five of which resulted in fatalities. This is a significant increase from the five total incidents recorded in 2025. Two recent fatal shootings occurred on consecutive days in late July.
On the night of July 25, a suspect involved in a traffic stop turned pursuit was shot and killed after pulling a gun in a parking lot. Police stated the individual had a felony warrant and was accused of tampering with an ankle monitor; he was later identified as a wanted sex offender.
