Man Charged With Running Over Dallas Police Officer Is In Nation Illegally
An off-duty Dallas police officer was run over twice early Sunday morning outside of a nightclub, and immigrant officials state the the person who drove over the officer is in the country illegally.
New York Daily News reports that Eduardo Gonzalez-Rios, 29, allegedly ran over off-duty officer Sr. Corporal Ed Lujan two times outside of the Kalua Discotheque nightclub, off of W. Northwest Highway, where the officer was working off-duty. Two other police officers, Sgt. Shannon Browning and Sr. Corporal Antonio Barrientos, fired shots at Gonzalez-Rios after he ran over Lujan, resulting in a wound to the suspect’s arm.
After being taken and released from the hospital, Gonzalez-Rios was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault against a public servant.
![Officer Lujan suffers from numerous broken bones and sprains after being ran over twice, outside of a Dallas nightclub. [Photo by Dallas Police Department]](http://cdn.inquisitr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Lujan.jpg)
The Dallas Morning News reports that Gonzalez-Rios, who didn’t have any prior criminal charges in the country, was asked to leave the nightclub due to unruly behavior and was subsequently escorted to the parking lot by employees.
Gonzalez-Rios got into his SUV after a valet brought it to him, and as he was attempting to drive off, he backed into a different officer. When he pulled forward, he drove over a curb and directly into Lujan, running him completely over. When trying to back his vehicle up, he ran over the officer once again. The other officer struck did not sustain any injuries. An official press release by the Dallas Police Department indicates that officers opened fired on Gonzalez-Rios after he drove over Lujan the second time.
Officer was struck by a vehicle and is in stable condition. Suspect is in custody.
— Dallas Police Dept (@DallasPD) November 9, 2015
“The valet retrieved the suspect’s vehicle and the suspect got in. He then backed up very quickly, striking one officer. The suspect then drove forward over a curb striking and running over a second officer causing him serious injury. According to witnesses, this is when officers opened fire on the suspect striking him. The vehicle driven by the suspect crashed and the he was subsequently taken into custody.”
After running his information, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman Carl Rusnok reported that this is the fourth time that Gonzalez-Rios has been caught in the United States illegally. The first incident occurred in 2004, near Harlingen, Texas, where Gonzalez-Rios was caught and promptly deported back to Mexico on the same day.
In 2005, ICE officials caught Gonzalez-Rios once again in Harlingen, where he was again deported back immediately. In 2011, he was caught in Kansas City, Missouri, and deported back to Mexico within two weeks.
According to Dallas County Republican Party chairman Wade Emmert. it’s instances such as what just happened to Lujan that makes him want to make sure the borders are as secure as possible.
“I think this is an example of why we are so concerned about securing the border.”
Although Lujan is listed in stable condition at the Parkland Memorial Hospital, he suffered a broken nose, sternum, tibia, and ankle, along with several broken ribs and a fractured skull and vertebrae. According to the the Greater Dallas National Latino Law Enforcement Organization (NLLEO), Lujan was in great spirits as of Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Lujan. According to the page, any money donated will go to pay for the medical care that’s not provided by officer’s insurance.
“Thank you all for your donations….they go towards Lujan’s medical expenses not covered by City of Dallas Insurance. Please share…..”
The page also indicates that the charity was set up by the NLLEO Greater Public Schools Chapter.
Eduardo Gonzalez-Rios remains in jail on first-degree felony charges that carry a sentence of up to 99 years in prison.
