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Dallas DA investigating 'potential crimes' by officers during May protests

The goal is to find additional footage of three incidents involving police force that left people injured. In one incident, a man lost his eye.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot on Thursday released photos of individuals he believes could help his office investigate three police incidents during protests in the days after the killing of George Floyd.

"Hopefully, these people will recognize themselves and come forward,” Creuzot said.

Creuzot shared more than a dozen photos of individuals, many wearing masks, holding phones or cameras during protests on May 30 in Downtown Dallas.

The goal is to find additional footage of three incidents involving police force that left people injured, including the shooting of 26-year-old Brandon Saenz with "less-lethal" ammunition. 

Saenz was hit in his left eye near the Dallas Public Library at Ervay and Wood streets. His eye was surgically removed.

Cruezot says his investigators still do not know the identity of the officer who fired the shot.

"We’re interested in seeing any video showing the person, the police officer, who fired that projectile," Creuzot said. "We actually need – if we can – to get a video of the shot being fired.”

The second incident involves another man being struck in the face with a projectile, around 10:40 p.m. on May 30, near the intersection of Griffin Street and Pacific Avenue.

Vincent Doyle told WFAA in June he was recording video which shows him backing away from a line of police officers as they issue orders for crowds to disperse.  

"I remember seeing his laser and I remember ducking his laser, and I was like, 'Are you trying to shoot at me?'" the 21-year-old amateur photographer said. "And then all of a sudden it was just, Boom! I thought I had got shot for real."

In the video, he drops to the ground, blood streaming from his face from a direct hit by what he believes as a less-lethal "sponge round." 

He suffered two large cuts under his left eye, a broken cheekbone, and limited vision in that eye. 

Cruezot said Wednesday he is seeking any photo or video that shows the firing of the projectile that struck Doyle.

A third incident involves a woman who was shot by a pepper ball round in the chest by a Dallas Police Department officer around 8:30 p.m. on May 30 near the on-ramp to Interstate 35E and Commerce Street just west of downtown.

"We’re not interested in anything 10 minutes before or 10 minutes after," Creuzot said. "We’re interested in the event, the firing of the pepper ball at this woman.”

Creuzot said it is too early to say whether any of the incidents will result in a criminal charge being filed against any police officer. 

"We don’t know if these are crimes. We’re investigating them — obviously, they’re potentially crimes — so we want to be certain,” Creuzot said.

The DA's office is asking anyone with visual evidence of any of the incidents to contact them via email at protestreport@dallascounty.org or by calling 214-653-3714. 

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