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Nov 21, 2009 8:38 pm US/Central
Dallas Man Killed Overnight By Irving Police
IRVING (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A report of shots fired, then a man with a gun seemingly aims at police, who shoot him dead.
Irving Police have lots of questions to answer among themselves about why a man merely visiting his sister would seem to threaten them with a gun.
"From what I understand it was just a mistake" says Pastor Dan Jackson of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Irving.
Jackson and his family spent Saturday trying to comfort the sister of 49-year-old Orlando Rodriguez,
Rodriguez was shot to death outside his sister's home in southwest Irving overnight. Seven bullet holes pockmark her outer wall in the shooting's aftermath .
"His sister here is the only one he's got right now and of course she's really devastated over this" says Jackson.
Officers had been called to the area after numerous reports of shots fired. The neighborhood has few outdoor lights, and it was 3:20 in the morning.
Family friends say Rodriguez was standing outside the house when police arrived. Police tell CBS 11 Rodriguez had a weapon. It turned out the weapon was a BB gun.
"They did come across an individual that was carrying a gun, like a long rifle, when they identified themselves he did turn toward them with a rifle and one of the officers fired, striking the individual" says Irving Police spokesman David Tull.
Tull says officers immediately attempted to resuscitate Rodriguez and an ambulance rushed him to Parkland Hospital, but he died.
Neighbors confirm they heard gunshots prior to the incident.
Rodriguez, who lives in Dallas, was spending the night with his sister, the sister say they reportedly heard someone outside bumping her home, and that's why Rodriguez went outside.
"Apparently they had heard some noise he stepped out to try to determine what that noise was" says Tull.
But friends say the sister was herself briefly held in custody and they wonder why so many shots were apparently fired on someone they called one of the nicest guys in the world.
He was faithful in his job, he fueled the planes at southwest airlines. But every chance he got to come to church he would" says Pastor Jackson.
Late Saturday night family members of Rodriguez went to the Irving Police Department to get answers, but their questions were not answered.
Police gave the family the press release on the shooting, but told the family there was no one at the station who could talk to them about the shooting.
"They shot and
killed him, that was it Nothing else, they can't tell us anything
else. He came out trying to protect the home and see what was going
on and he comes out with a BB gun." said niece Rachel Hernandez.
The family says they will continue to ask the police questions, vowing not to let the matter rest.
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