Fort Worth's new police chief faces test amid a deadly, violent weekend across DFW

“There’s not a major city police chief in this country who doesn’t wake up on a Monday morning with challenges," Chief Eddie Garcia said.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Crime scene after crime scene across Fort Worth this weekend has put new Police Chief Eddie Garcia’s leadership to the test.

“We are not just going to sit by on a weekend such as this,” Garcia said, addressing the city’s string of violent incidents that left multiple people dead and others hurt.

“This was a challenging weekend,” Garcia added. “There’s not a major city police chief in this country who doesn’t wake up on a Monday morning with challenges.”

Among the tragedies, police say a teenager fatally stabbed 15-year-old Jacob De La Rosa during a fight that also left his father critically injured. The suspect, also a teen, claims the stabbing was in self-defense, according to police.

Saturday night, police arrested a man accused of shooting and killing a gas station employee on Eastchase Parkway before trying to break into a nearby home. That same day, police responded to the Wichita Street restaurant parking lot for an unrelated incident, saying a woman was shot and killed after a minor car accident turned violent.

Then, early Sunday, gunfire erupted inside LIV Social Bar in the West 7th area, killing 31-year-old Patrique Allen and injuring five others.

The violent weekend also caught the attention of city leaders like Fort Worth Councilman Michael Crain. He receives police and fire emergency notifications and learned of the back-to-back deadly incidents. Crain told WFAA the city will make sure people committing crimes in Fort Worth will be caught and punished.

“If you have a personal beef with someone or an issue, there are better ways to work it out. You don’t have to resort to crime,” Crain said. "If you commit a crime, we will find you, we will prosecute you and we will bring you to justice. So, don’t commit the crime. There are so many avenues out there to get the resources you need."

After reaffirming that Fort Worth remains a safe city, Garcia outlined his plans for a new violent crime reduction strategy tailored to each part of the city.

“We’re going to have a violent crime reduction plan here in the City of Fort Worth that fits every individual part of the city," Garcia said. “The criminologists are excited about working with my team.”

Community advocates like Teena James, founder of the Stop Six nonprofit Safe in the Six, are also stepping up to help.

“It’s beyond heartbreaking,” James said. “I really can’t explain the feeling that you get when you hear about a young person or an old has lost their lives.”

Safe in the Six is a community organization in Fort Worth at 2401 Scott Ave. The organization focuses on providing a safe environment for youth and families in the Stop Six neighborhood through mentorship, outreach and violence prevention programs.

The group often partners with local leaders and law enforcement to promote positive engagement and reduce crime in the area, but James said she is concerned about the safety of everyone all across the metroplex.

At the same time, FWPD is focused on the Stop Six area as one of its crime reduction areas of the city resulting in lower incidents in violent crime categories.

Now, as several families mourn and the city reflects on one of its most violent weekends in years, all eyes are on Fort Worth’s new top cop and what he does next.