Police said the man had crashed nearby and tried to take several vehicles before the shooting.
GARLAND, TX — A father shot and killed a man Sunday afternoon after police said the man tried to steal a vehicle while members of the father’s family were still inside near Highway 66 and Dairy Road.
Garland police said the shooting appears to be self-defense and that investigators do not expect to file charges against the father. The case remains under investigation as officers work to identify the man who was killed and review the events that led from a crash to a violent struggle in a shopping area parking lot.
Police said officers were first called about 3:30 p.m. Sunday to a crash near Highway 66 and Dairy Road. The man had collided with two other vehicles, according to police, then got out and began trying to force his way into other cars in the area. Lt. Pedro Barineau of the Garland Police Department said officers were still responding when they learned the driver had left the crash scene and was trying to get into vehicles in a parking lot. “It kind of all happened like really fast,” Barineau said.
Surveillance video from the area showed the man moving toward a vehicle occupied by a family of eight, police said. Most of the family members were inside when the man got into the vehicle and tried to drive away. The father, who was outside the car, fought with him for nearly a minute as the struggle moved around the passenger side of the vehicle. Police said the father then fired, striking the man in the driver’s seat. The man died at the scene. Authorities have not released the father’s name or the name of the man who was shot.
No family members were reported injured. Police said they did not find a weapon on the man who was killed, but investigators said he was using force to try to take vehicles. Officers said the father did not know whether the man was armed during the confrontation. The shooting happened in a busy commercial area where nearby businesses and drivers saw parts of the incident unfold after the crash. Police markers were later seen around a Chevrolet Impala as investigators gathered evidence from the parking lot.
Tatiana Starks, who manages Garland Smoke and Vape near the scene, said the man appeared to be acting erratically before the shooting. “You could definitely tell that he was not in his right state of mind,” Starks said. She said she saw him trying to get into several cars at a nearby gas station and began recording on her phone before he crossed the street toward the family’s vehicle. “He ended up going into their car,” she said.
Barineau said the evidence reviewed so far points to the father protecting himself and his family. “It seemed to be self-defense,” he said. Investigators were still reviewing surveillance video, witness statements and the crash sequence Monday. Police said the man who was killed had targeted several vehicles before entering the family’s car, but they had not released details on whether any other drivers were injured or whether the crashes caused major damage.
The incident drew attention because the family remained inside the vehicle as the attempted carjacking unfolded. Police said that fact is central to the investigation, along with the force used by the man before he was shot. Starks said she was relieved the family survived without injuries. “It’s just a blessing that the kids and the family walked away with no injuries,” she said.
Garland police said the investigation remains active. The next step is to identify the man who was killed and complete the review before the case is closed or sent for any further legal review.
Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.