A man arrested by Dallas police officers Tuesday outside an Uptown hotel where Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was scheduled to speak at an election-night watch party was there to make a delivery, a police spokesperson said.
The person, who police have not publicly identified, was transported to the Dallas County jail for alleged traffic violations after he was taken to police headquarters as part of an investigation, the spokesperson, Sr. Cpl. Melinda Gutierrez, said.
Officers were notified at 5:16 p.m. of a “suspicious individual” in the 3000 block of Fairmount Street, Gutierrez said. Multiple patrol vehicles surrounded a blue sedan outside the hotel.
The person entered the vehicle without a proper license plate and left the area, Gutierrez said. Officers conducted a traffic stop and arrested the driver for traffic violations.
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During a search of the vehicle, officers found ammunition magazines and placed them on the car’s roof. The vehicle had no license plates.
After the arrest, police transported the person to Jack Evans Police Headquarters for “further investigation,” Gutierrez said.
Dallas police respond to a scene where a man was detained outside the election night watch party for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, in Dallas.
Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer
“After being interviewed, investigators determined the individual was at the location to make a delivery to an employee,” Gutierrez said.
A Paxton spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The incident unfolded as Paxton tries to unseat Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, a high-profile intraparty fight that has drawn national attention and has tested the party’s establishment wing against a challenge aligned with President Donald Trump.
Doors to the event opened at 6 p.m., with supporters lining up inside the hotel.