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Emmanuel Blanco Cruz

Age : 37

Gender : Male

Race : Latino/a/e

Date : 08/25/2024

Location : 1500 block of Fair Oaks Drive

City : Richardson

County : Dallas

State : Texas

Agency : Richardson Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during domestic violence call

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/25/2024, at approximately 4:11 a.m., Richardson Police Department officers responded to a residence in the 1500 block of Fair Oaks Drive after a woman called 911 and reported that her boyfriend, Emmanuel Blanco Cruz, 37, had assaulted her. During the 911 call, the woman said Cruz had come home intoxicated, struck her several times, and that after she made him leave, he returned with a baseball bat and began breaking windows. The call disconnected following a commotion.
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The first officer to arrive was a female Richardson police officer. Body-camera footage later released by the department shows the officer going to the rear of the residence, where Cruz could be seen inside the garage holding a large kitchen knife. The woman emerged from the residence and was directed by the officer toward the alley.
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Cruz then came out of the garage while still holding the knife. The officer repeatedly ordered him to drop it while backing away from him. Cruz continued across the backyard toward a pickup truck parked in the rear driveway.
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Body-camera footage shows Cruz reaching the open driver's side area of the pickup while the officer continued ordering him to drop the knife. Richardson police alleged that Cruz then suddenly turned toward the officer and raised the knife in a threatening manner. The officer fired a single round, striking Cruz in the upper body.
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After being shot, Cruz fell near the truck. Additional officers arrived, and the footage shows Cruz moving on the ground and reaching for the knife while officers ordered him not to pick it up. Officers subsequently provided medical aid. Paramedics transported Cruz to a hospital, where he died.
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Richardson police publicly released the 911 audio, body-camera footage and other video of the encounter on 08/29/2024, four days after the killing. The department said the release was intended to provide the public with the information officers had received before arriving and video of the subsequent encounter.
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The Richardson Police Department placed the officer on administrative leave following the shooting and notified the Dallas County District Attorney's Office for review.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
The Richardson police officer who shot and killed Emmanuel Blanco Cruz has not been publicly identified.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/crime/man-killed-by-richardson-police-shooting-domestic-violence-north-texas/287-74d0497a-c47d-470c-bc32-931a6dc91aa6
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/man-fatally-shot-by-richardson-officer-was-armed-with-large-knife/3629342/
https://www.fox4news.com/news/fair-oaks-drive-richardson-officer-involved-shooting-emmanuel-blanco-cruz-ois
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/police-release-video-911-recording-of-knife-wielding-man-fatally-shot-by-richardson-officer/
https://www.richardsonpolice.net/Home/Components/News/News/7769/5439
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2024/09/04/video-shows-man-with-knife-before-richardson-police-shoot-him-dead/