What happened to Michael Dean?

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Michael Dean who was shot in the head and killed by Temple Police Officer Carmen DeCruz on Dec. 2, Dean was not carrying, did not display or use a weapon when he was killed. 

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The report said the incident was the result of a “traffic stop/evading." Dean was pulled over at 8:12 p.m. 2020 in the 3200 block of Little River Rd. It’s unclear what the initial traffic stop was for. 

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6 News reached out to Temple police for more information about the stop and clarification on how Dean was evading the officer. Department spokesperson Cody Weems deferred to Texas Rangers, which is the investigating agency. TPD later sent additional information about the form. 

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"The form filed by Temple PD with the AG’s office is required within 30 days of the reported incident. At this time, the Department has only limited information from sources that do not have first-hand knowledge of the facts and that limited information was used to complete this form. This case is still under investigation by the Texas Rangers, and the form may be revised by the Department at a later date as more facts become available," the department wrote. 

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A Texas Rangers spokesperson told 6 News that there is no official public update on the case and the investigation remains open and active. 

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Police identified 28-year-old Michael Dean as the man who was shot. Around 1:30 a.m, Christine Dean, Michael’s mother, said an officer told her the news. That was about five hours after the shooting happened. The same day, the family told 6 News they didn’t know what led to the shooting and they were looking for answers. The Temple Police Department released a statement that said it could not release any details. 

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Temple PD released the officer’s name who was involved in the shooting. Carmen DeCruz has been with the department for nine years and has been on paid administrative leave since the shooting. 

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One seat of Deans car, which had blood on it, was wiped down with bleach because it may have been upsetting to the family to see, according to Weems. He also said that this practice is “pretty typical” and is decided on a case by case basis. In this case, it was decided by Temple PD personnel to wipe the seat down.  On the morning of Dec. 6, the department felt that returning the vehicle with blood on the front passenger seat would be insensitive, so the blood was cleaned off the seat, Weems said. Merritt then said that he did not want the vehicle touched any further as he had planned to have the vehicle processed by an independent forensic examiner. He asked that the Temple PD keep the vehicle until he could make arrangements for the vehicle to be picked up.  Weems said he knows that the car has not yet been picked up and at the time of cleaning, Temple PD did not know that the family wanted to conduct their own forensic investigation. 

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A Texas Rangers investigation found facts and evidence that support the elements of manslaughter. This case will be presented to the Bell County Grand Jury for their review and deliberation. According to the Temple Interim Police Chief Jim Tobin, DeCruz has been placed on paid leave. Once DeCruz is indicted, he will be placed on unpaid leave.  In a news conference, Tobin outlined what the department has done during the investigation. When 6 News anchor Leslie Draffin asked if it was protocol for an officer to approach a vehicle with a gun drawn and a finger on the trigger during a traffic stop, Tobin said it was not protocol. According to Tobin, DeCruz has been a "good officer" and "has served the community well." This officer has not been a problem officer for us,” Tobin said. “He’s been dedicated for nine years to this department. Two and a half hours before this incident occurred, he was one of the officers in the honor guard leading a parade in Temple.” It is unknown when DeCruz will be in court to face the charge. 

 

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