The city of Dallas is moving toward a settlement with a former police officer who was fired after fatally shooting a young mother in 2017 and is now seeking years of back pay.
A two-day civil service trial for Christopher Hess, 48, was scheduled to begin Wednesday morning, but the parties announced they were instead working on a settlement.
The Civil Service Board procedure is one of the last steps in Hess’ yearslong efforts to clear his name following his termination in the fatal 2017 shooting of Genevive Dawes, 21. He fired 12 rounds at the young mother as she reversed an SUV into a squad car, investigators found.
Hess faced criminal prosecution and civil litigation but was later cleared in both proceedings.
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Civil Service Board Chair Terrence Welch gave both sides until Nov. 14 to advise if a settlement has been reached so the case can be dismissed. If not, Welch said the board would schedule a new trial date.
A witness, Sgt. Joseph Naines, is set to retire on Nov. 4, so the city will proceed with taking his deposition in case the settlement falls through, assistant city attorney James Peacock told the board.
Hess and his attorneys, Adam Stone and Jane Bishkin of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, declined to comment at Wednesday’s hearing. Peacock also declined to comment.
Before the killing in Old East Dallas on Jan. 18, 2017, Hess was the subject of at least 10 internal investigations for alleged excessive force, including punching, kneeing and tackling citizens, most for minor offenses, according to a 2023 investigation by The Dallas Morning News. He was cleared due to “insufficient evidence” in nearly every case, most of which involved minorities, The News found.
During his 2020 trial for aggravated assault by a public servant for killing Dawes, Hess’ attorneys said he feared for the lives of other officers at the scene. Hess and the other officers had responded to a suspicious person call, where Dawes and another person were sleeping in a Dodge Journey that had been reported stolen.
Family members of Dawes, a mother of two, said she did not know the vehicle was stolen when she bought it.
Police said Dawes ignored commands to exit the vehicle before putting the SUV into reverse, colliding with a squad car and driving forward into a fence. Hess began shooting after Dawes reversed a second time.
The jury found him not guilty in February 2020.
Two weeks after a grand jury indicted Hess, then-interim police Chief David Pughes fired him, citing improper use of deadly force, dereliction of duty, conduct discrediting the department and a patrol violation.
After the Dawes family filed a federal lawsuit against the city and responding officers, including Hess, the Northern District of Texas ruled in favor of the officers on qualified-immunity grounds.