Crime & Safety
Dallas grand jury clears man accused in Family Dollar shooting
A Dallas County grand jury didn't believe there was enough evidence to support a criminal charge against Kevin Jackson
Dallas - In a case that has drawn significant attention in Dallas, a grand jury has exonerated Kevin Jackson, who was previously accused of murder related to an incident at a Family Dollar store in Southern Dallas in November 2022, Dallas Metro News reported.
The incident unfolded when 26-year-old Phillip Betts, who was accused of theft and assault, engaged in a dispute with a store employee who had accused him of shoplifting and had confiscated his backpack. According to an arrest affidavit, Betts punched the woman multiple times, prompting another employee to use mace against him.
During the altercation, Kevin Jackson entered the store and witnessed the ongoing fracas. In the affidavit, Jackson stated he had fired his weapon at Betts to protect the two women who seemed to be under attack. He instructed the women to move away from Betts before discharging his firearm once, aiming at Betts' leg.
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After being shot, Betts fled the store but soon collapsed and died from his injuries. Jackson, after retrieving his spent cartridge casing and a live round, placed his firearm in his car and waited for law enforcement.
Surveillance footage from the store verified that Betts had assaulted the two women and that they had moved away from him moments before Jackson fired his weapon. However, Dallas police arrested Jackson and charged him with murder, arguing that Betts was unarmed and did not pose a lethal threat at the time of the shooting. The grand jury's decision last month to clear Jackson of the charges represents a significant development in this highly charged case.
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“Detectives looked at all of the evidence. And at the time of the shooting, there was no imminent danger of a deadly force confrontation,” said Sgt. Warren Mitchell with the Dallas Police Department in November 2022.
A Dallas County grand jury disagreed and "no billed" Jackson in July, meaning they didn't believe there was enough evidence to support a criminal charge.
Credit: Dallas Metro News, NBC DFW
