- An ex-officer of Arlington Police Department in Texas was charged by a local grand jury on Wednesday for a shooting incident that happened last year, according to NBC News.
- Ravinder Singh, who shot Margarita Brooks on August 1, 2019, was charged with criminally negligent homicide.
- Singh had been responding to a welfare check of “a woman passed out in a grassy area,” authorities said, when he shot at an “unrestrained dog” but hit Brooks in the process.
- Brooks died from her injuries at a local hospital following the shooting, according to police.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
A former police officer in Texas who shot a woman to death last year while trying to fire at her dog that was running toward him has been charged by a local grand jury on Wednesday, according to NBC News.
Ravinder Singh, a former officer of Arlington Police Department, was charged with criminally negligent homicide by Tarrant county grand jury, the outlet reported.
Singh shot Margarita Brooks during a welfare check following reports that a woman was passed out in a grassy area on August 1, 2019, NBC News reported.
As Singh attempted to check up on Brooks, bodycam footage shows he released multiple shots from his firearm at Brooks’ dog, which bolted quickly towards the officer. Some bullets hit Brooks, who later died in a local hospital, KTVT reported.
"We are pleased that the Tarrant County Grand Jury has returned an indictment for the officer who killed Maggie. Officers responding to welfare checks should not be so quick to use their deadly weapons in situations that do not call for use of force," Brooks family said in a statement, according to KTVT.
According to the outlet, Singh could face up to 2 years behind bars.
Brook's father, Troy Brooks, argued that Singh could have de-escalated the situation differently, NBC News reported.
"He had a baton, he had mace, he had Taser. There's a de-escalation of force," he said to the outlet. "This was a panicked 25-year-old man who was scared of a 6-month-old puppy."
The family's lawyer, Lee Merritt, told CNN that they are "disappointed with the charges themselves."
While Brooks' father told NBC a manslaughter charge would have been "more appropriate," the family said they were "both surprised and relieved to see charges going forward at all."
"It's been well past the normal time, well over a year since the incident happened. It caught us off guard, but it was a welcome relief," Merritt told CNN.