Video shows dangerous street stunts at South Dallas intersection

DALLAS - A Facebook video showing a reckless display of cars stunting in the middle of a South Dallas intersection has some longtime residents and a city councilwoman asking for answers.

The Dallas Police Association says the incident is just a sign of the things to come because the police department is so short-handed. The DPA says that reckless driving is considered street racing and is a very low-priority call.

At first glance, the 30-minute video might seem like a scene out of a movie, but it’s not. It’s what happened last Tuesday evening at the intersection of Malcolm x Boulevard and Elsie Faye Heggins Street.

The video begins with a driver burning rubber and a Dallas police unit turning on lights and sirens. As soon as the squad car clears the intersection, the real show begins.

The video shows several cars take turns doing donuts in the middle of the intersection as a growing crowd gathers to watch. The reckless driving continues uninterrupted for nearly half an hour before there's any police response.

DPA President Mike Mata says the officer driving through the intersection couldn't stop because he had a prisoner in the car and there were no other officers available for such a low-priority call of street racing.

"You're seeing a trend of lawlessness that's coming within the city of Dallas,” he said. “The fix it is we need more cops. It's as simple as that."

South Dallas Councilwoman Tiffinni Young wants police to explain why it took so long to respond.

“What the community has said to me very loudly and clearly is, ‘Miss Young, if this were happening anywhere else in this city, some attention would be focused on this corner,’” she explained.

People who live and work nearby says it's not the first time the reckless driving has happened at the intersection.

"The law is supposed to have been out here doing their job,” said resident Denise Darden. “If they don't care, why should we?”

"It's not this neighborhood that's doing this. It's not this neighborhood that's causing this,” said business owner Kelly Champion. “These people are coming from elsewhere where ever the police ran them off from."

In this case, it was the bright lights of a Dallas police helicopter flying overhead nearly 25 minutes later that finally ran off the crowds and brought an end to the reckless driving.

Dallas police say they will brief the media on the reckless driving incident first thing Wednesday morning.