Dallas officer killed and 2 wounded by man who targeted police, chief says

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas’ police chief said Friday that a man intentionally set out to shoot police when he killed an officer sitting in his patrol car and wounded two others in a late-night attack that set off a highway chase and ended with officers fatally shooting the suspect.

The shooting Thursday night brought fresh anguish and anger in a city where a gunman’s ambush on police in 2016 killed five officers.

Chief Eddie Garcia said at a news conference that the suspect — 30-year-old Corey Cobb-Bey — approached Officer Darron Burks while he was parked at a community center between calls, talking to him briefly and recording the encounter before pulling out a handgun and “executing” Burks.

“Our officers were targeted for nothing more than the uniform they wear and for the brave and honorable job that they do,” Garcia said.

Police said Cobb-Bey pulled into the parking lot at 10:02 p.m., about two minutes before Burks. After shooting Burks, Cobb-Bey retrieved a shotgun from his own vehicle and placed it on the roof of the squad car, police said.

When Sr. Cpl. Jamie Farmer arrived at 10:11 p.m. to check on Burks after a dispatcher noticed an unusual transmission from him, Cobb-Bey fired his handgun at Farmer. Farmer returned fire and Cobb-Bey retrieved the shotgun. Farmer was hit once in the leg, police said.

When Sr. Cpl. Karissa David arrived a minute later, Cobb-Bey shot at her multiple times, police said. Police said she returned fire and was shot in the face.

Farmer was released from the hospital Friday, while David remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

Cobb-Bey fled the scene and was pursued by other officers to Lewisville, Texas, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Dallas, police said. Police said that when Cobb-Bey's vehicle came to a stop on Interstate 35, he exited with a shotgun in his hand that he pointed at officers. Six officers fired at Cobb-Bey, who died at the scene after being hit multiple times, police said.

No officers were injured in that exchange of gunfire.

Garcia said their investigation has determined that the shootings were premeditated. He said they learned from social media that three days ago, Cobb-Bey approached an unmarked squad car from an unknown law enforcement agency and was recording as he asked officers why they were parked there.

Cobb-Bey had expressed online that he had problems in both his professional and personal life, and indicated that “an event” would be happening, Garcia said.

Police said two shotguns were recovered from the scene in Lewisville, while a .22 handgun and the 9mm handgun used by Cobb-Bey were recovered from the initial scene.

Burks joined the force recently after teaching math at a high school for about 17 years.

Burks taught at Texans Can Academy, a charter high school, in the Pleasant Grove community in Dallas from June 2006 to February 2023, where he was “not only an excellent educator but also a mentor to countless students,” Tina Shaw, the school's principal, said in a statement.

“His commitment to serving others, both as a teacher and as a police officer, exemplified his dedication to making a positive impact on the lives of those around him,” Shaw said.

Christian Menefee is the attorney for Harris County, which includes the Houston area. Menefee said he and Burks had been members of the same fraternity in college.

“He was a man of great character, with a servant’s heart that knew no bounds," Menefee said in a statement.

This undated photo provided by the Dallas Police Department shows Officer Darron Burks prior to his graduation from police academy. (Dallas Police Department via AP)

Dallas Police Department squad car is towed away near the scene of a shooting in Dallas on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Evidence markers cover Interstate 35 early Thursday in Lewisville, Texas, on Friday, Aug 30, 2024. (Jason Janik/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Dallas Police Department officers carry a procession along Colorado Blvd. towards Dallas County Medical Examiner following the death of a Dallas police officer on Thursday night, at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Dallas, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Dallas Police Department officers carry a procession along Colorado Blvd. towards Dallas County Medical Examiner following the death of a Dallas police officer on Thursday night, at Methodist Dallas Medical Center in Dallas, Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Dallas Police Department officers comfort each other following a guard of honor outside of Dallas County Medical Examiner office, on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Dallas. (Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Officers examine a vehicle for evidence in Lewisville, Texas, on Friday Aug 30, 2024. (Jason Janik/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

A procession of Dallas police vehicles exits the Stemmons Fwy near the medical examiner's office in the early morning hours of Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Dallas Police Department squad car 2149 is towed away near the scene of a shooting in Dallas on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. (Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

Dallas police gather at Methodist Dallas Medical Center early Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, in Dallas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

GAINESVILLE, Va. (AP) — LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan took responsibility Saturday for the tour's failure to get fans to the Solheim Cup in time to see the opening tee shots a day earlier but did not offer a full explanation of the debacle that has led to speculation about her future.

Players teed off Friday morning in front of half-empty grandstands at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, muting what could have been a raucous first-tee atmosphere in the team competition between the United States against Europe. The stands were full on Saturday, but the damage had been done, with media coverage more focused on the logistical problems than the dominant first day of golf by Nelly Korda and the U.S.

“At the end of the day, I’m the leader of the organization and I have to own it,” Marcoux Samaan said.

RTJ is tucked into a private residential community serviced by a single road off U.S. Route 29 in this exurb about 40 miles west of Washington, D.C. The venue hosted four Presidents Cups in the 1990s and 2000s and a PGA Tour event in 2017 without any significant transportation problems.

Marcoux Samaan said there simply weren't enough buses at Jiffy Lube Live, the concert venue where fans paid $30 for parking, without explaining why the LPGA didn't have a fleet of vehicles ready to shuttle spectators who were motivated to get to the golf course before dawn but instead spent hours standing in lines with little or no access to restrooms.

Asked how many buses were available, Marcoux Samaan declined to answer directly.

“It’s a complicated question, and again, we were writing spreadsheets and trying to figure it all out,” she said. “We didn’t have enough buses in the morning, clearly.”

The LPGA Tour is responsible for on-site operations at the Solheim Cup when it is played in the United States. The last U.S. event was in 2021 in Ohio, with the COVID-19 pandemic limiting the number of international fans.

“This was an LPGA issue,” Marcoux Samaan said.

The commissioner said the tour staff spent much of Friday in “triage mode” trying to diagnose the problem and ensure departing fans would be shuttled off the golf course efficiently. More than 12 hours passed before the LPGA posted a statement on social media promising improvements for Saturday and emailed a letter to fans that included an offer of free tickets for use this weekend.

“We had some staff out there and we were trying to communicate to the people that were there,” Marcoux Samaan said. “I think we thought that was more important than getting something out more broadly on social.”

Marcoux Samaan, who has been the LPGA commissioner for three years, also faced questions earlier this year about the tour's marketing of top-ranked Korda, whose historic run of six wins in seven starts, including a major championship, attracted modest television audiences.

The commissioner pointed to increased participation in the sport as a sign of her tour's growing popularity.

“The percentage of women playing has escalated over the last several years. Young girls playing golf has continued to grow,” she said. “I think our team is working really hard to grow the game.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Fans watch from the 11th fairway during a Solheim Cup golf tournament foursomes match at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Gainesville, VA. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Fans are seen during a Solheim Cup golf tournament foursomes match at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Gainesville, Va. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

LPGA commissioner takes the blame for Solheim Cup transportation issues

Empty seats on a grandstand are seen on the first hole during a Solheim Cup golf tournament foursomes match at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Gainesville, VA. (AP Photo/Matt York)

LPGA commissioner takes the blame for Solheim Cup transportation issues