Former DISD Police Chief praises officer shot near highway
Dallas ISD Police have not released the condition of the officer who was shot during an incident near a Sam’s Club off I-635 on Thursday, but his former chief says Justin Jones is the kind of person you want to be around. FOX 4’s Amelia Jones has more.
DALLAS – The Dallas Independent School District is sharing more information about the police officer who was injured in a shooting on Thursday.
Officer Justin Jones 
DISD Police Officer Justin Jones, 39
What we know:
The injured officer was identified as 39-year-old Justin Jones.
Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez said he’s been with the department for the past 16 years and is currently assigned to White High School.
He was featured in a FOX 4 news story in 2015 while training with the department on verbal tools to defuse confrontations. Jones is the officer wearing the red shirt with glasses in the video below.
Critical Injuries
The backstory:
Jones was shot on Thursday morning while trying to help someone who had been in crisis on the LBJ Freeway near Midway Road.
Police said he brought the suspect to the Sam’s Club parking lot to get him off the freeway and away from danger. That’s when the shooting occurred.
Jones was shot in the leg. Another officer who responded to the scene shortly afterward applied a life-saving tourniquet.
He was said to be stable after being rushed to Parkland Hospital in critical condition. Dallas ISD Police said Jones was in stable condition late Thursday evening.
Officers from several different departments were seen arriving at Parkland Hospital, including Dallas PD, Grand Prairie PD, Texas DPS officers, and Dallas ISD officers.
Police presence at Parkland Hospital
What they’re saying:
Former Dallas ISD Police Chief Craig Miller says Jones was one of his first hires when he became the department’s chief.
“Well, I think the first thing you notice about him is his smile. He’s got a big smile, and he’s the kind of person that everybody wants to be around,” Miller tells FOX 4’s Amelia Jones.
Dallas ISD police officers are trained like any other police officer in the state, despite being stationed at a school and not on patrol.
“So I think sometimes people say, “Well, you’re just a school police officer; you’re not able to do that. But that’s not the case,” Miller said. “These school police officers go through the exact same training, the same standards to become a licensed peace officer in the state of Texas.”
Miller hopes Jones will be able to return to the line of duty soon and help with the beginning of DISD’s school year.
“The start of the school year can be a very stressful time, and so not having someone like Justin there available with his experience will be missed.”
Update on Dallas ISD officer who was shot | FULL
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux and Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez give an update on the officer who was injured in a shooting in a Sam’s Club parking lot on Thursday morning. That injured officer is currently in surgery at Parkland Hospital.
“We’re thankful. We thank Parkland, the amazing surgeons there at the trauma center that they do what they do,” Dallas ISD Police Chief Albert Martinez said during a press conference earlier on Thursday.
“We also want to thank Dallas police, Texas Department of Public Safety, Dallas Fire Rescue, Dart, ATF and Dallas Sheriff’s Office and the Dallas City Marshal’s office for all their help. We just ask the community to please pray for our officer and his family.”
The Source: The information in this story comes from Dallas ISD police, Dallas police, and FOX 4 sources.