Posted on 12/26/2008 7:42:01 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
Suspect in Dallas, Garland freeway shootings dies
08:03 AM CST on Friday, December 26, 2008
A former Utah Highway patrol trooper suspected in a series of deadly roadside attacks in Dallas and Garland died Christmas Eve as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Brian G. Smith, 37, died Wednesday night at Parkland Memorial Hospital, said nursing supervisor Arthur Clarke.
Family said Mr. Smith was taken off life support Tuesday evening.
Garland police said Mr. Smith shot himself in the head hours after the freeway shootings, when officers, who knew he was wanted on theft and robbery warrants, blocked his sport utility vehicle and wouldn't let him drive away.
Dallas homicide detectives and crime-scene investigators gathered more evidence Wednesday as part of their investigation into Monday evening's multiple rush-hour shootings that left two people dead and one injured.
Dallas police spokesman Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse said investigators planned to analyze evidence they found along LBJ Freeway from Garland Road to Plano Road to determine whether it is connected to the shootings. Cpl. Janse would not describe the material.
Garland police spokesman Officer Joe Harn said Wednesday that ballistics tests were being run on bullets recovered in the rush-hour shootings and in Mr. Smith's suicide attempt.
"They're doing some testing today, but we probably won't get any results until the first of next week," Officer Harn said.
Dallas police said Tuesday that their preliminary ballistics tests show a link between Mr. Smith and the fatal shooting of truck driver William Scott Miller, 42, as Mr. Miller drove on LBJ Freeway.
But Garland police said they wanted to do more testing before declaring whether Mr. Smith was connected to a shooting ...
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
The latest news on this story ...
Pingin’ a few folks from my Texas and General Interest
lists here!
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Previously posted on this a few days ago:
Former Utah trooper is a suspect in Dallas-area shootings
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2153590/posts
The world is less one murderer from the gene pool. Good riddance, and thanks for saving the taxpayers all that wasted money!
He should receive absolutely no honors at his funeral for his previous service as a Utah state trooper.
This is a strange story...
bump! bump! bump!
Gotta head out to work.
Ya’ll have a great Friday, great weekend!
Former Utah trooper linked to rush-hour rampage in Dallas
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/122308dnmetroadkillings.83b862a.html
Utah officials: Ex-trooper in road shootings struggled with addiction
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/122408dnmetshootingsider.3ec1d28.html
LBJ Freeway lanes closed while detectives seek clues in road shootings
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/122408dnmetfreewayshootings.1588e04.html
Link: Ex-Trooper fondly remembered in Utah
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11295838
ping - We were talking about this yesterday...
Would you add me to your Texas ping list? Thanks!
Hope they do an autopsy on him. A brain tumor could explain the radical personality change. But likely cause was falling into drug use. A tragedy all around.
** Would you add me to your Texas ping list? Thanks! **
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My pleasure to add you. Thanks.
Have a great weekend. :)
Yessir.
Drugs most likely.
His crime spree began with the robbery of a Kroger
pharmacy 1 mile from where I work. He stole some
drugs while he was at it.
Thanks for the ping!
Thanks for the ping, I had not heard this. Glad he’s off the road, sorry that his life took such a terrible turn.
My theory was that something went wrong in his head back when he was in UT and he chose to self-medicate to rid himself of the demons in his head. Maybe an injury from the on-duty crash.
I’m sure he could have been a cop that decided to confiscate the goods of the dealers he busted, but it would be curious to see if his radical detour into drugs and the eventual escalation to mass murder was due to a brain injury or disease.
I’m sure they will make a TV movie out of it, either way.
I hadn’t thought of it like that. You may be right.
An old friend of mine of over 30 years committed
suicide in February this year. He had had some problem
with his neck and the doctors had prescribed some
painkillers to help with his pain.
He became addicted I guess and was struggling with
that. He ended it by closing up his garage, sealed
it up and started his pickup truck.
:(
You bet. :)
bump! bump!
** This is a strange story... **
See the links at #7, maybe that will help.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2154439/posts?page=7#7
Happy New Years!
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