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Martin James Benes

Age : 46

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/27/2025

Location : 13800 block of Far Hills Lane

City : Dallas

County : Dallas

State : Texas

Agency : Dallas Police Department, SWAT

Officer(s) :Samuel McDonnold, Christopher Nilsen

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during SWAT approach to mental health crisis

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/27/2025, 46-year-old Martin James Benes was shot and killed by Dallas Police Department SWAT officers Samuel McDonnold and Christopher Nilsen inside his family's home in the 13800 block of Far Hills Lane in Far North Dallas. The encounter began the previous evening after Benes' mother called 911 seeking help because her son was suicidal, had been drinking alcohol and had a knife. Benes' brother also contacted 911 expressing concern that Benes might harm himself or their mother.
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Dallas police arrived at approximately 7:40 p.m. Body-camera video later released by the department shows Benes' mother answering the door and telling officers she needed “medical” help. Benes appeared farther inside the house and told officers to stay away from him. Officers drew their guns and moved outside while ordering him to put down the knife.
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Benes briefly came outside while carrying the knife and then returned inside the residence. Police removed his mother from the immediate area and established a perimeter. The department called its SWAT team and attempted for several hours to persuade Benes to come outside.
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Police also learned that Benes had an outstanding felony warrant related to an aggravated-assault-with-a-deadly-weapon family-violence case. The immediate police response, however, had begun with his family's calls reporting a suicidal crisis and requesting assistance.
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After 1:20 a.m., SWAT officers entered the residence. Body-camera video shows officers moving upstairs and finding Benes lying on a bed, wrapped in a sheet and facing away from them. Officers saw a knife near him and quietly discussed attempting to use a Taser.
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Officers illuminated Benes with flashlights and attempted to take him into custody. Police deployed Tasers twice, but neither deployment incapacitated him. Benes got up from the bed while holding the knife. Video shows him moving toward the officers and swinging his arms and the knife in their direction.
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Senior Corporals Samuel McDonnold and Christopher Nilsen opened fire, striking Benes. After initially falling, Benes sat upright and moved toward the nearby banister as though attempting to stand. An officer fired again. Benes collapsed. A SWAT officer checked him and reported that he had no pulse before officers began medical treatment and called Dallas Fire-Rescue personnel into the residence. Benes died at the scene.
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Benes' family strongly criticized the police response after viewing the released recordings. His brother, Paul Benes, said the family had repeatedly sought medical and mental-health assistance and accused police of escalating the crisis rather than providing the requested help. He also objected to the department's edited presentation of the family's communications with 911, saying it omitted repeated requests for medical assistance.
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The Dallas Police Department Special Investigations Unit investigated the shooting. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office and Dallas Office of Community Police Oversight were also notified for independent review.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
Senior Corporals Samuel McDonnold and Christopher Nilsen were the Dallas SWAT officers who shot Martin Benes.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-north-dallas/3910440/
https://www.nbcdfw.com/video/news/local/video-man-with-knife-shot-by-police-after-lunging-at-officer-dallas-pd-says/3882113/
https://www.fox4news.com/news/dallas-police-shooting-body-camera-video
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2025/08/28/dallas-police-fatally-shoot-man-with-knife-after-north-dallas-standoff/
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2025/08/29/dallas-swat-bodycam-shows-moments-before-officers-fatally-shot-man-in-hourslong-standoff/
https://www.fox4news.com/news/man-killed-dallas-swat-standoff-knife