Disturbing body camera video shows the horrific moments a mother of two, 21-year-old Genevive Dawes was shot and killed at the hands of a Dallas police officer.
Dawes and her boyfriend, Virgilio Rosales, were sleeping inside a stolen car in January of 2017 when police blocked their exit with police cruisers and surrounded the car.
In the video, obtained by Fox4News, police shout at the car ‘Hands up, let me see your hands!’ When Dawes and Rosales do not follow commands, and Dawes tries to drive backwards she hits a squad car.
She then drives forward again and hits the fence, before slowly driving backwards again, when Dallas Officer Christopher Hess opens fire.
Police surround the vehicle which they believe is stolen, and tell the occupants inside to put their hands up
Office Christopher Hess fired 13 rounds into the car, killing Genevive Dawes
Genevive Dawes leaves behind two daughters, Krystinah Rosales, 2 (left) and Cerenity after being shot several times by Officer Christopher Hess
Hess pumps 13 shots into the car. Afterwards he radios in and says ‘They rammed our squad car twice.’
Officer Jason Kimpel’s body camera shows he fired once.
Dawes died at the scene. Her boyfriend manages to get out alive. In the video, you can see him struggle to follow officers’ commands to open the car door from the outside of the window, which is covered in broken glass after being blown out in the gunfire.
Rosales, was injure and was later arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
Hess was arrested and ultimately indicted on aggravated assault by a peace officer.
He was fired from the Dallas Police force.
Kimpel was suspended, but is still on the force.
‘To see the loss of life that I didn’t think had to happen was something that did upset me, ‘ said Former DPD Assistant Chief Randy Blankenbaker.
Former Special Investigative Unit, Chief Blankenbaker, was overseeing the investigation into the shooting.
Blankenbaker says the video shows officers used excessive force.
‘You are responsible for every round that leaves your weapon. You are told that every time you go to the pistol range,’ says Blankenbaker.
Additionally, he says, the fact that the officers’ could not see into the car, that they had no idea who the occupants were was a problem as well.
‘You don’t know what is in that vehicle there could have been children in the back seat that could have been shot and killed,’ he said.
Officer Christopher Hess (left) was arrested and indicted on charges of assault by a police officer. Dawes’ boyfriend, Virgilio Rosales (right) was not shot and was arrested on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon
Dawes mother, Mary Dawes (pictured), is now raising her two young granddaughter and is distraught after seeing the video
‘I certainly made the argument at the time that Kimpel should have been terminated and should have been held accountable to that level at least,’ said Blankenbaker.
The family is suing the city for wrongful death.
The federal wrongful-death lawsuit filed against the city says Dawes bought the car a month before the shooting, unaware that it had been stolen.
The suit alleges that the shooting was an unconstitutional use of excessive force.
Ultimately, the Dallas Police Department did find a weapon in the car, but they didn’t know it was there before opening fire on the couple.
‘She was a good person. She was not a violent person at all,’ said Mary Dawes.
Dawes’ family members, who gathered to make a statement about Hess’ indictment said the mother was a goofy and loving woman who would make everyone laugh, once adopted a stray duck and was devoted to her two daughters, Krystinah Rosales, 2, and Cerenity Rosales, 1.
‘I feel like they tried to make my sister look like a criminal, to sweep it under the table to not even try to get justice for her,’ said Alisha Garcia, Dawes’ 26-year-old sister. ‘She was my only sister. They took her life.’