Suspect's behavior drew police attention

DALLAS -- The gunman accused of opening fire at a Dallas home improvement store, killing one police officer and critically injuring two others, was initially detained because he was acting suspiciously and may have tried to steal from the store, an arrest warrant revealed Wednesday.

An off-duty officer who was working a part-time job at the Home Depot store in the north of the city learned Armando Luis Juarez, 29, had an outstanding felony warrant after he was detained by store officials for suspected shoplifting, according to the arrest warrant.

Two on-duty officers, Rogelio Santander and Crystal Almeida, were called to the store and, along with a Home Depot loss-prevention officer, were speaking with Juarez in an office. The off-duty officer stepped away, heard a report of "shots fired" broadcast over the police radio and then rushed back to the office to find the officers and loss-prevention employee on the ground with gunshot wounds, according to the warrant.

Investigators later reviewed police body-camera footage showing Juarez pulling a handgun from his pocket as Santander and Almeida attempted to take him into custody, the warrant alleges.

Santander died Wednesday of his injuries and Almeida and the loss-prevention officer, Scott Painter, were in critical condition.

Juarez was arrested late Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault on a public servant and felony theft. He was subsequently charged with capital murder. Juarez was being held on a bond in excess of $1 million at the Dallas County jail.

Police Chief U. Renee Hall said at a news conference Almeida and Painter are "making remarkable recoveries" following surgery.

Police were called to the Home Depot in Lake Highlands at around 4 p.m. Tuesday to remove Juarez from the store. Hours after he escaped, his white pickup truck was spotted by police and a high-speed chase ensued, eventually resulting in his capture just before 10 p.m.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said late Tuesday he was "upset at the lack of respect for our police in this city and in our country."