Dallas Police Release Body Cam Footage in Shaw Street Shooting

The Dallas Police Department released body camera footage from the office-involved shooting that resulted in the death of a man in the 1000 block of Shaw Street on Friday.

DPD released the footage on Monday. Major Nathan Swyers of the Criminal Investigations Group summarized the sequence of events, which happened at 10:05 a.m. on Feb. 20.

"Dallas Police SWAT officers responded to the 1000 block of Shaw Street to assist the Louisville Police Department and the DEA task force with executing a narcotics search warrant at that location," Swyers said.

According to the preliminary investigation, multiple SWAT teams deployed to clear the structures on the property, which featured a single-story residence and a two-story detached structure behind it.

"As the SWAT team approached the second story, two flash bang devices were deployed when the team encountered two dogs," Swyers said. "The devices were effective, allowing the team to continue up the stairs, where they observed two closed doors."

He continued, "Just as they announced police, the suspect, later identified as 26-year-old Matthew Leija, opened one of the doors with a firearm in his right hand and pointed it towards officers. Officer Elias Wells fired multiple shots from his rifle, striking the suspect. The suspect dropped the weapon and fell to the ground."

Despite attempted life-saving measures by the SWAT doctor on-scene, Leija was pronounced deceased at 10:23 a.m. Police recovered three rifle casings from the second story and five firearms from the property.

Several individuals inside the single-story residence were identified as family members of the suspect and detained for questioning by DEA agents. Two infant children were found in the second-story immediately after the shooting unharmed. They were released to their mother by CPS.