DALLAS — It's hard to believe, but the pictures tell the story: They show someone shooting fireworks at Dallas police officers and a News 8 photojournalist early Tuesday morning.
There were some minor burns, and police are calling it an aggravated assault.
While it may have started out as a fun night with fireworks, by the time News 8 photographer Robert Flagg arrived at the Creekside Villa apartments in southeast Dallas, it was anything but.
As he recorded the activity from a distance, people fired the shells not into the sky — but at each other.
"Once I got there, I noticed it was just basically a war zone going on," Flagg said.
Once they spotted Flagg, several young men started aiming their fireworks directly at him. It was a frightening situation for this seasoned photojournalist who's covered Dallas after dark for 15 years.
"The missiles — or whatever they were — they were hitting, they were bouncing off my chest and off my camera," Flagg said. "One hit me in the back, and it burned my neck and it burned my shirt."
In the light of day, debris from the spent fireworks overwhelmed the lone maintenance man at the sprawling complex. We found the office was locked, and residents were exasperated.
"It was crazy. It was crazy," said Leonard Wills. "Shooting fireworks at each other? It don't even make no sense."
When police were called, the first officers found the crowd too large to handle, so they had to wait for backup units.
"Those officers that arrived were being shot at by fireworks," said Dallas police spokesman Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse. "In fact, one officer who was actually hit by a bottle rocket in the arm. Once enough officers got there, the crowd dispersed."
Flagg suffered a small burn to his neck. His news vehicle was damaged by rocks, bottles and fireworks.
"That's considered aggravated assault, and it will be filed as that and will be investigated to its fullest, and hopefully we can find out who actually did it," Janse said.
But at night in the dark, police couldn't catch anybody — and that leaves everybody who lives at Creekside Villa nervous.
"It's every day; it's every day," said one tenant. "This is the hood. That's how it go down every day."
Just possesing fireworks inside the city limits is a misdemanor, but assaulting people with them is a felony.
Dallas police are activly seeking the people who fired on their officers. Anyone who can help is encouraged to call the Dallas Police Department.
E-mail greaves@wfaa.com
