Written by Chief Political Correspondent Dorian Lassiter
DALLAS — A man who worked as a security contractor for U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett was shot and killed by Dallas police after a standoff that ended when he allegedly pointed a gun at officers, according to law-enforcement sources.
The man, known publicly as Mike King, was wanted by authorities on allegations that he had been impersonating a police officer. Investigators say the confrontation occurred after officers attempted to apprehend him in a parking garage at Children’s Health Hospital in downtown Dallas. According to police accounts, King drove into the hospital garage in what authorities describe as a replica undercover police vehicle. The car reportedly had features designed to resemble an official law-enforcement unit and was displaying license plates stolen from vehicles parked outside a military recruiting office, investigators said.
Officers attempted to detain King after identifying him as a wanted suspect. Instead of surrendering, authorities say he barricaded himself inside the vehicle, refusing repeated commands to exit. Police eventually deployed tear gas in an attempt to force him out of the car and end the confrontation peacefully. Officers say the situation escalated when King produced a firearm and pointed it at police, prompting SWAT officers to open fire. King was pronounced dead at the scene.
The shooting has drawn attention not only because of the circumstances surrounding the standoff, but also because of King’s connections to a private security operation and his work providing protection for a sitting member of Congress. King had served on security details for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, the Democratic congresswoman representing Texas’s 30th Congressional District. Photographs from campaign events and public appearances show him standing close to Crockett while providing security. Campaign finance records show payments made to a person identified as “Mike King” for security services as recently as 2025, according to filings reviewed by observers following the shooting.
Crockett’s office has declined to comment on whether background checks were conducted on King or whether any concerns about his past had been raised prior to hiring him.
Authorities say King had an extensive criminal history and was actively wanted on charges related to impersonating a law enforcement officer at the time of the incident. Investigators say he also operated a business known as Off Duty Police Services, an online platform that connected off-duty police officers in North Texas with private security work. Through the company, King allegedly organized protection details for a variety of clients and coordinated teams of off-duty officers working secondary employment assignments. Law-enforcement sources say he oversaw teams of actual off-duty police officers hired for private protection work, a role that typically requires credibility and familiarity with law-enforcement procedures. Authorities now say King falsely represented himself as a certified police officer, even though he had no official certification. Investigators say that misrepresentation allowed him to operate the business and present himself as someone qualified to coordinate security assignments.
The company arranged private security for a range of clients in the Dallas area, including downtown hotels and King’s local church, according to law-enforcement sources familiar with the investigation. Authorities say King built a network of off-duty officers who accepted security assignments arranged through his platform, though it remains unclear how many officers worked through the service or whether any were aware of the allegations about his credentials. Police also say King used multiple aliases, further complicating efforts to determine his background. Officials have indicated they have not publicly released what they believe to be his true identity, suggesting that “Mike King” may not have been his legal name.
The revelation that a wanted fugitive with a history of impersonating law enforcement was able to coordinate security jobs involving police officers — and serve on protection details tied to a member of Congress — has raised questions about oversight in the private security industry. Security arrangements for political campaigns and public officials frequently rely on contractors and private security firms, particularly when events take place outside federal facilities where official protective services may not be present. Those contractors sometimes coordinate off-duty officers who take private security assignments as supplemental income. In such cases, the responsibility for vetting personnel can fall on the contractor or organization hiring them.
Critics have questioned how King was able to maintain his role in coordinating security operations and secure work connected to a federal lawmaker despite allegedly misrepresenting his law-enforcement credentials. Authorities say King’s use of a fake police vehicle equipped with law-enforcement-style features also added layers of potential criminal charges, including fraud and theft tied to the stolen license plates used on the car. Investigators have not publicly disclosed how long King had been operating the vehicle or using the equipment. Dallas police have also not released a detailed timeline explaining how officers first located King on the day of the shooting.
As with all officer-involved shootings, the incident will be reviewed under the department’s standard internal investigative procedures. Officials say the investigation will examine both the circumstances of the confrontation in the hospital garage and the broader allegations surrounding King’s activities. Authorities are continuing to review records connected to King’s security business and the operations of Off Duty Police Services. The inquiry may focus on how the company recruited officers, how security assignments were arranged, and whether any other individuals could face charges related to impersonation or fraud.
For now, many of the details surrounding King’s operations — including how he built a business that allegedly coordinated off-duty police officers and secured contracts tied to high-profile security work — remain under investigation. The case has also drawn attention to the broader issue of police impersonation, which law-enforcement officials say can pose serious risks to public safety when individuals falsely claim official authority.
Authorities say the investigation into King’s activities and the events leading up to the standoff remains ongoing.
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