By Kelli Smith, Jamie Landers, Amber Gaudet, Aria Jones, Lilly Kersh, Arcelia Martin and Chase Rogers
Dallas police Chief Eddie García said a 30-year-old gunman “executed” his officer within seconds of approaching his patrol vehicle Thursday night in southeast Oak Cliff.
Corey Cobb-Bey parked his white Buick about 10:02 p.m. near the For Oak Cliff building in the 900 block of East Ledbetter Drive, and Officer Darron Burks stopped nearby two minutes later during a break between assignments, García told reporters Friday during a news conference.
Cobb-Bey spoke with Burks briefly through the driver side window while recording the encounter on his phone, then pulled out a handgun and fatally shot Burks, the chief said.
A police dispatcher noticed an unusual transmission from Burks’ radio and tried to contact him but got no response, García said. Police found him using his GPS location as Cobb-Bey went back to his car and got a shotgun, which he then put on top of the patrol vehicle, the chief said.
Senior Cpls. Jamie Farmer and Karissa David responded within 10 minutes, and Cobb-Bey grabbed the shotgun and fired at them, García said. Farmer, who was hit in the leg, returned fire and ran. David was shot in the face as she exited her vehicle but also returned fire, the chief said.
All three officers were taken to hospitals, where Burks, 46, died. David is in critical condition but listed as stable, while Farmer was treated and has been released, the chief said Friday evening.
“We are devastated,” García said. “The investigation determined last night was premeditated, again for no other reason than the uniform we wear.”
Cobb-Bey drove away on East Ledbetter, then turned north onto Interstate 35E as he was pursued by Dallas police officers to Lewisville. He exited a vehicle with a shotgun in hand, approached officers and pointed the gun at them, the chief said. Six Dallas officers fired, striking him multiple times and killing him.
Police recovered two shotguns at the Lewisville site and two handguns at the Dallas shooting scene, which Cobb-Bey had legally obtained, García said.
“Our officers were targeted by this coward,” the chief said during the emotional news conference.
The search for a motive
Early Friday in Lewisville, police searched an empty white Buick that appeared to have shattered back windows and a flat back tire. Dozens of police vehicles lined the closed-off highway. A body lay under a sheet in the street.
In social media posts, Cobb-Bey repeatedly mentions the “end times” and refers to himself as a “Moor,” a reference to the Moorish Science Temple of America.
The Anti-Defamation League has noted overlap between the Moorish Science Temple and Sovereign Citizens, which the FBI considers an anti-government extremist group. Sovereign citizen ideology dates back to the 1970s, when it was dreamed up by white supremacists intent on defying the nation’s laws.
The ideology teaches that a shadowy group secretly took over the U.S. government and has been using financial contracts to enslave Americans. Some followers in the past have resorted to violence, including murdering law enforcement officers.
The Moorish Science Temple of America Dallas chapter posted on its Facebook page extending condolences to Burks, adding: “We stand united in our efforts to foster a community where peace and justice prevail.”
García confirmed Cobb-Bey appeared to have ties to the movement, which is based on the premise that African Americans are descendants of the Moabites originating from the Moroccan Empire. The religion incorporates Islamic teachings with teachings of personal transformation and racial pride.
Earlier this week, Cobb-Bey had approached an unmarked squad car belonging to an unknown law enforcement agency, and recorded them as he questioned why they were parked there, García said.
The chief said police were scouring his social media to find anything similar to a manifesto, adding that Cobb-Bey had made a post indicating an “event” was happening on Friday.
“It’s one of the most brutal cop killings that I have seen in my career,” García said.
‘We’re grieving’
The chief emphasized the investigation is still in the early stages. He applauded the dispatcher who knew something was awry from Burks’ radio transmission, “sending help to our officer when he needed it most,” the two officers who responded and were wounded and those who pursued Cobb-Bey despite the risks.
García said Farmer was in great spirits and David has a long road to recovery.
He said he visited Burks’ mother, “a beautiful, strong woman of faith,” and they hugged and cried. He assured her that her son would be remembered as a hero.
Burks’ mother, Cherie Jeffrey, confirmed his death to The News when reached by phone Friday. Jeffrey said she was notified by officers at her home. Burks was a former school teacher who had just completed police training.
The chief recalled pinning the police badge on Burks, who had only been with the department since March 2023. The department is hurting, the chief said, and it will never forget Burks’ sacrifice.
“We’re grieving the loss of our brother … while we stand behind to support his loved ones and our injured brother and sister officers who are in their own fight after this senseless evil act,” García said. “We have a tough day today, but we will get through it as we always do, together and as a law enforcement family.”
LaDarrian Brooks, 39, who identified himself as Cobb-Bey’s older brother, told The News that “the whole family is floored” by the shooting.
“Our family … we would like to deeply, deeply apologize to the families that were involved in this situation because it’s a tragic, tragic situation,” he said.
‘He was just doing his job’
Several council members and other city officials stood with García at the news conference Friday to show support for the fallen officer and the Dallas Police Department.
Council member Kathy Stewart told The News that Burks grew up in the Lake Highlands area and graduated from Lake Highlands High School. His loss hits their community “especially hard,” she said, noting his love for public service was evident in his prior career as a teacher.
“He made the honorable decision to pursue a career in law enforcement, graduating from our police academy just last year,” Stewart said. She asked for prayers for the wounded officers, the department and Burks’ family as “they navigate the most difficult journey that lies ahead.”
Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Adam Bazaldua said the shooting appeared to be a “completely senseless act.”
“You hear often of officers’ families who say goodbye before they head to their shift not knowing if it’ll be for the last time, and here’s an example of exactly that,” Bazaldua said. “He was just doing his job protecting our city.”
Dallas police spokeswoman Kristin Lowman updates the media following the Thursday night shooting that claimed the life of one officer and injured two.
In a post on X early Friday, García said “No words.” He attached a photo of a Dallas police badge above the city of Dallas with a dark blue line across the center.
Flags at all city facilities will be flown at half-staff, according to a statement from Dallas police.
About 1:15 a.m. Friday, dozens of Dallas police officers stood quietly outside the emergency room entrance to Methodist Dallas Medical Center. They stood in two parallel lines, with the honor guard closest to the entrance, and waited. Police squad cars lined the blocks leading up to the hospital, their emergency lights flashing.
A Dallas police vehicle drove to the hospital minutes later, and officers helped escort an older woman out of the car. The officers surrounding the vehicle straightened, then saluted as the woman exited the vehicle and slowly walked inside the hospital with a group.
The two lines of officers broke after she went inside. One officer wrapped one of his arms around a colleague and held her against his shoulder, staring out at the street. Others came by and also hugged the officer, who appeared to wipe away tears.
A patrol car was parked in front of the department’s south central station Friday morning. On its hood lay a bouquet of white roses and another of white lilies.
“Dallas has lost a hero,” Mayor Eric Johnson wrote in a statement Friday. “This attack on three of our protectors is nothing short of an attack on our city, our families, and our way of life. We must continue their work to stop violence in our communities. We must never forget their sacrifice.”
Burks attended Paul Quinn College and pledged Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He worked at Texans Can Academies before joining the force, according to Apryl Washington Goree, a former coworker at the charter school.
“He loved helping kids, but he wanted to help the community versus just the classroom,” Washington Goree said. “He wanted to help on a broader spectrum.”
“I want to express my deepest condolences and full support to the family of our fallen Dallas Police Officer,” Dallas Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert wrote in a statement. “We cannot take for granted how precious life is and how courageous our first responders are to selflessly take the oath to protect and to serve.”
From the parking lot of For Oak Cliff Friday morning, Dallas City Council member Carolyn King Arnold told The News she was “devastated” by the news of the shooting.
The center was quiet and its parking lot vacant at 9 a.m. Friday, roughly an hour after three police vehicles — one marred by at least two bullet holes — were towed down East Ledbetter Drive. Another bullet punctured the community center near the front entrance, just below a sign listing its business and recreation hours.
“Really no words can describe an officer being murdered like this,” she said. “It just leaves you speechless.”
Arnold said the community center serves as a “beacon of hope” and a peaceful place for the community to gather — not a “magnet for crime.”
“It is a magnet for the youth to come and find alternatives to gun violence,” Arnold said. “It’s used to change this narrative that all of Oak Cliff is lost, all for someone to misuse this sacred space.”
Staff writers Everton Bailey Jr., Devyani Chhetri and Julia James contributed to this report.
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