🌱 Dallas Police Officer Fired + Winning Mega Millions Ticket

Good morning, neighbors! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Dallas Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in town.

But first, today's weather:

Warmer with clearing. High: 81 Low: 67.

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Here are the top three stories today in Dallas:

1. A Dallas police officer was fired after bodycam footage showed him using "excessive force" on a chase suspect back in January. Dallas Police said Officer Barron Cooper was chasing a truck that was speeding more than 100 miles per hour. In the video, Cooper is seen jumping out of his squad car with his gun drawn and shouting expletives at the teenager. According to Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, the officer didn’t report he was in pursuit and violated the department’s chase policy. When supervisors took a closer look, they found the officer had crashed his squad car into the back of the suspect’s truck, causing damage. He moved his squad car before other officers arrived. The officer was fired three weeks ago after an internal affairs investigation. (WFAA)
2. A Dallas family is seeking answers after finding their missing sister's body Sunday morning. Yesica Martinez, 25, disappeared Friday morning after crashing her SUV on the I-35 connector to Woodall Rodgers. The Dallas County Sheriff's office says it responded to a call of a crash, but the vehicle was abandoned. Martinez's body was found days later behind a fence near an abandoned building. Dallas Police are waiting on autopsy results before determining the next steps. (NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth)
3. A Mega Millions ticket was sold somewhere in Texas over the weekend, and it could be yours. This ticket, up for $10,000, was able to match four of the five winning numbers along with the Mega Ball. The winning numbers from the Mar. 17 drawing were 26, 28, 29, 39, and 49 with the Mega Ball 25. The next Mega Millions drawing is set for Mar. 21 with a jackpot of $272 million. (CW33 Dallas)

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Today in Dallas:

• Yeat 2023 At South Side Ballroom (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Meet Tikiti, the newest addition to Dallas Zoo's warthog family! Born on Feb. 17, guests might start seeing Tikiti out on habitat at Giants of the Savanna. (Dallas Zoo via Instagram)
• Congratulations to Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center on a successful weekend! A total of 38 dogs and eight cats were adopted, and 20 dogs and one cat were reunited with their owners last Friday through Sunday. Get the full recap at the link. (Dallas Animal Services and Adoption Center via Facebook)
• Dallas Parks' Summer Camp Lottery Registration is now open. To give everyone a chance, Dallas Parks will be conducting Summer Camp registration through a lottery system. There are no fees involved. Register in person or online at the link. (Dallas Park and Recreation Department via Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.