Tonight, at the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) 21st Annual Top Cops Award Ceremony, two of the Dallas Police Department’s finest were honored as this year’s Top Cops for the state of Texas. Dallas Police Detectives Frederick Frazier and Kurt Hibbets, along with Grapevine Officer Ryan Sayre, are being recognized for their role in ending the manhunt for a violent criminal.
On February 11, 2013, convicted felon Alberto Morales was in custody, flying from Miami to Nevada to serve two life terms for some unspeakably vicious rapes. Two Miami detectives were escorting Morales on this flight. Morales became disruptive on the plane, forcing it to land in Houston. The officers began to drive to Nevada with Morales, but once they reached Grapevine, Texas, Morales launched a brutal attack on one of the escorting officers, Miami-Dade Detective Jaime Pardinas. Morales used a sharpened piece of his eyeglasses to stab Detective Pardinas in the neck, throat, shoulder and back, critically injuring him. As Detective Pardinas fought for his life, Morales fled on foot. Detective Pardinas, believing he was dying, was still able to call 911 and report what had happened, including a description of Morales.
Over the next several days, the DFW area was gripped by the intense search for this dangerous fugitive. Local law enforcement officers from numerous agencies, along with members of the U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force, to which DPD officers Frazier and Hibbets belong, followed up every lead to locate Morales.
Finally, after four days into this search, law enforcement agents got a lead: A burglary in the area of Grapevine, Texas. Dallas Detectives Frazier and Hibbets, working with the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force, moved in to look for Morales.
Just before midnight on February 15, a police helicopter using infrared equipment spotted someone in the heavily wooded area near the home that had been burglarized. Frazier and Hibbets, along with Officer Sayre, of the Grapevine Police entered the woods to determine if it was Morales. The helicopter was unable to maintain air support, leaving the officers to do their best in the dark wooded area. The three officers continued tracking Morales. Morales had planned an ambush, leaving improvised booby-traps scattered through the woods. The officers finally located Morales behind a large oak tree.
Rather than surrender peacefully, Morales leapt up and charged the officers, forcing the three to fire. Morales was pronounced deceased, ending the four day manhunt for the man responsible for nearly killing a Miami Dade detective.