Latest news with #ArlingtonPoliceDepartment
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Possible drowning under investigation at River Legacy Park in Arlington
A possible drowning is under investigation after kayakers discovered the body of an adult male Friday afternoon at River Legacy Park in Arlington. CBS News Texas After receiving the report, the Arlington Fire Department responded to the scene around 1:45 p.m. Fire officials said the man was unresponsive in the water. The cause of death has not been determined. The Arlington Police Department is now leading the investigation. CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.
CBS News
14-05-2025
- CBS News
Criminal charges won't be filed after "Senior Assassin" game left Grand Prairie teen on life support
Criminal charges won't be filed in connection to a viral game that left a North Texas teen on life support, according to the Arlington Police Department. Isaac Leal, 17, has been on life support at an Arlington hospital for nearly a month after falling off the back of a vehicle while playing a game called "Senior Assassin." APD said Leal and other students were playing the viral game when Leal onto the back of a Jeep Wrangler. Leal rode on the back of the Jeep through a residential neighborhood on April 21. Shortly after the Jeep made a turn, Leal fell off the vehicle and was injured. The driver of the Jeep stopped and 911 was called. EMS responded to the scene for what was described as an unconscious person and Leal was transported to the hospital. APD said investigators found no evidence to support claims that the driver of the Jeep was driving recklessly at the time or intentionally trying to cause Leal to fall off the vehicle. APD said no criminal offense occurred. Family reports encouraging signs for 17-year-old on life support Leal's family said he is showing signs of responsiveness from the hospital bed where he has been for three weeks. Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez "Our kid is a fighter," said Jose Leal, Isaac's dather. "You know, basically, what I can say about my son — he's never been a person to give up." Leal said his son moved his legs on command. "We see certain characteristics, like a smile or we see tears coming down his eyes," Leal said. "You know, those are the things that we're looking at. That gives us hope." While he fights for his life, a table was decorated in honor of the South Grand Prairie High School senior Monday night at the baseball team's annual banquet. Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez Injury prompts school districts to warn against playing "Senior Assassin" Isaac Leal's injury and the attention it's received have prompted a number of North Texas school districts to issue warnings and threaten students caught playing the game. The "Senior Assassin" game has become an unofficial tradition among students across the country. Family searches for long-term care facility The family says it's yet to find a long-term care facility that will take Isaac Leal. Despite his grave condition, they haven't given up hope that he could attend his senior class graduation in two weeks. "Isaac's supposed to be graduating May 25," Jose Leal said. "We're hoping that he's able to walk, be out of here before May 25. That's what we're hoping for. We're asking God to deliver." Julia Falcon Julia Falcon is a digital content producer at CBS News Texas. Julia has previously written for news outlets across Dallas-Fort Worth like the Denton Record-Chronicle, D Magazine, 1080 KRLD and 105.3 The Fan. She covers a span of topics, focusing on sports and trending topics. Every week, Julia produces a show called "Eye on Trending," where she answers top trending questions. contributed to this report.
USA Today
13-05-2025
- USA Today
High school student in critical condition after controversial 'senior assassin' game
High school student in critical condition after controversial 'senior assassin' game A North Texas teenager is in critical condition after falling off a vehicle he reportedly hopped onto while playing a controversial water gun game often played by high school seniors. Isaac Leal, 17, jumped onto the back of a Jeep that began to pull out of a driveway in Arlington on April 20 and later hit the ground, suffering a severe head injury, according to local stations KXAS and KTVT. Raquel Vazquez, the boy's mother, told KXAS she believes Leal fell off after the vehicle hit a bump on the road. She said a young girl driving the Jeep reached high speeds for around five minutes before eventually hitting a dip, the outlet reported. The incident happened while playing prank game known as "senior assassin," commonly played by soon-to-be high school graduates. Participants spray each other with water guns, paintball or airsoft guns until there is a winner who has not been soaked. "Everybody that's playing has to download that app," Isaac Leal's father, Jose Leal, told KTVT. "So, that way, they can tell you what location each person is at." Parents seek criminal investigation in son's injury Leal, a baseball star at South Grand Prairie High School, is on life support after suffering the head injury weeks ahead of his high school graduation, KTVT reported. Both Jose Leal and Vazquez are urging authorities to conduct a criminal investigation into the incident. Jose Leal told KTVT the driver made six turns over five minutes, adding, "that's five minutes of him holding on for his life." "I understand accidents happen, but this was not an accident," Vazquez told the station. "I have not been able to go home because I can't imagine going home without him." The Arlington Police Department said it is investigating the traffic incident that security cameras partly captured but have not confirmed any foul play, KTVT reported. The department reportedly said in a statement that "Mr. Leal was hanging out the back of the vehicle when the accident occurred." USA TODAY has reached out to Vazquez, Jose Leal and the Arlington Police Department for comment. Officials previously warned against 'senior assassin' game The latest injury comes after police agencies, educators and state officials have warned teens across the U.S. not to play "senior assassin," "water wars," "senior splashin" or other similar games. Officials have also warned that their toy guns could be mistaken for a real weapon. Police in Sylvania, Ohio warned in April that students had made their toy guns more realistic and that the department received several calls of concern. "These scenarios present clear risks of tragic outcomes, including the possibility of officers or armed citizens mistaking students for actual threats," the department wrote on April 18. In 2024, a Florida high school principal sent a video to parents warning them of the trend's dangers, asserting that any student participating in it on school grounds would face suspension, reported Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network. Police in several Chicago suburbs sent out alerts about the trend last year, WMAQ-TV reported, saying that there have been "concerning incidents," including kids wearing ski masks and carrying fake weapons that look real. Contributing: Emilee Coblentz
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Arlington PD first in state with expanded drone program
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Brief Arlington PD has received a waiver to fly drones outside an officer's "line-of-sight." The department says they are the first in Texas to be granted the waiver by the FAA. They hope the expanded drone program will decrease response times and protect officers. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images) ARLINGTON, Texas - The Arlington Police Department is elevating its use of drone technology. According to Chief Al Jones, the department is the first in the state to obtain a "line-of-sight" waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration. Jones says this expanded permit allows them to operate drones without a visual observer. The chief says the program will help police perform their job safely. 'Drones as a First Responder' program The new operation is called the "Drone as a First Responder" program, or DFR. The department has been designing, tweaking and trying out its use to enhance the response to calls. They say the program will never replace officers' response. The DFR program began two months ago, though drones have been in use by the department for years. The drones are launched from two docks in separate locations. What they're saying Jones tells us the program may be able to reduce response times drastically. "We have about an eight-minute response, but with our drones within our radius, we could do it within a minute or two," the chief said. "This program is really going to ramp up how we are using drones and take us to the next level." According to Jones, their ability to fly the drones at long range from their officers will help to keep law enforcement out of harm's way. "Our officers respond, not knowing whether a person has a gun or not, but our drones can fly to that location, get real-time intelligence, being able to identify whether the person has a gun or not, and provide that intelligence to our officers," said Jones. "Our job is to deliver to those officers the best information that we can as quickly as we can so they can do their job better and safer," said Sgt. Eric Borton. "This role becomes even more complicated when those officers respond to more serious calls such as burglaries or assaults in progress." The plan going forward What's next As the program progresses, the department says their goal is to add more drones to their force. The Source Information in this article was given by the Arlington Police Department.
CBS News
06-05-2025
- CBS News
North Texas high school senior on life support after "Senior Assassin" game injury
A North Texas high school student is fighting for his life after playing a controversial game that's become popular among seniors about to graduate. That game is called Senior Assassin, and while the rules may seem harmless, some say it encourages kids to put themselves in danger. Armed with water guns and chasing classmates through an Arlington neighborhood, Isaac Leal jumped onto the back of a Jeep that began to pull out of a driveway. "Everybody that's playing has to download that app," said Jose Leal, Isaac's father. "So, that way, they can tell you what location each person is at." Only minutes after the vehicle pulls away with the 17-year-old standing on the back bumper, he would be on the ground with a severe head injury. The South Grand Prairie High School baseball star, who was only weeks away from graduation, is now on life support at Medical City Arlington. "Plans change overnight" "Everything was planned out, but plans changed overnight," said Raquel Vazquez, Isaac's mother. "Nothing matters but saving your kid's life." Videos from security cameras show Isaac standing on the back bumper of the Jeep as it made several turns before a dip in the road ejected him onto the pavement. "It was literally six turns and it ended up being five minutes, so that's five minutes of him holding on for his life," said Jose Leal. Only an ambulance responded to the scene, which upset the parents who want a criminal investigation by police. In a statement to CBS News Texas, the Arlington Police Department said it was first made aware of this incident on Saturday, May 3, "when his family contacted us and officers responded to the hospital to speak with them. The Department's statement continues, "A police report was taken. In reviewing calls for service from the date the incident occurred, April 20, we learned that EMS responded to the accident site for what was described as an unconscious person. PD, however, was never dispatched and we were not notified that Mr. Leal's injuries stemmed from a traffic incident until we spoke with his family this past weekend. The APD Traffic Division is leading the investigation. Based on evidence we have reviewed, it appears Mr. Leal was hanging out the back of the vehicle when the accident occurred." Family holds vigil, hoping for recovery "I understand accidents happen, but this was not an accident," said Raquel Vazquez. The family said it's having trouble moving Isaac to another hospital. Medical City Healthcare/Medical City Arlington released the following statement to CBS News Texas: "Our hearts go out to any family with a seriously ill loved one. If for any reason a family requests treatment for their loved one at another facility, we try to facilitate a transfer. It is important to note that transfers are dependent on the patient's condition, whether they are stable enough to be transferred, as well as the receiving hospital's capacity and willingness to accept the patient." "We're going to keep fighting for my son," Raquel Vazquez said. "I don't know how to make it more clear." Jose Leal, Raquel Vazquez Isaac's family has kept a constant vigil by his side since the accident, holding out hope that he will recover. They wanted to speak out to hopefully spare other parents from the same pain they are going through. Family, school warn about "Senior Assassin" game "People need to be aware of games like this, as a teenager, you're not aware if something bad is gonna happen," said Jose Leal. The senior assassin game has become an unofficial tradition among students across the country. Most of the controversy surrounds the use of water guns, which have been mistaken for real firearms. It prompted South Grand Prairie High's principal to issue a warning to the senior class: "Students who engage in this activity on or around school grounds may face disciplinary action, including the loss of senior privileges." The principal at nearby Timberview High is threatening three days in school suspension for students caught playing the game on campus. While his baseball teammates are "Playing for Isaac" and a community surrounds a devastated family, a photo of the promising young pitcher with scholarship offers, now clinging to life, may send the strongest message yet about celebrating a senior year safely. "You never think it's going to hit close to home until it does," Raquel Vazquez said.
