City May Remove Dallas Mural Honoring Murdered Officers Because It Was Built Without A Permit

A Dallas mural honoring the five police officers killed last year in an ambush may have to be torn down because of code violations.

Dallas Mural Honoring Slain Police Officers Doesn’t Meet City Code, May Come Down

Dallas, Texas – A Dallas mural that went up in June to honor the five police officers who were assassinated in a terrorist attack must be taken down or altered because it violates city codes and didn’t obtain a permit to go up, according to the Associated Press.

The 8-foot fence on which the Dallas mural was painted was built without a permit for metal siding and the fence also blocked visibility at a four-way intersection according to a violation ticket issued May 25, the AP reported.

The owner of the business where the Dallas mural is erected said he applied for a permit as soon as he received the notice. Cesar Rodriguez, owner of the Last Call Lounge, estimated the project cost about $15,000 and alterations cost another $2,100.

“I’m frustrated because we tried to do something for the police department. We tried to make the neighborhood look a little bit better,” he said. “We feel a little bit sad that we’re doing all this for our city and they don’t see or appreciate that.”

The AP reported that the Dallas Department of Code Compliance issued the citation but won’t comment. City inspectors have yet to inspect the Dallas mural since the alterations were made.

City of Dallas Spokesman Richard Hill said the fence is set to be inspected again on Aug. 2. Hill said city inspectors issued a citation in May because an individual complained about the fence before the mural was painted, according to NBCDFW.com.

“Should the violation remain, an additional citation may be issued,” Hill told the TV station.

On July 7, 2016, a terrorist ambushed a police officers during a Black Lives Matter march. He killed five officers and injured nine others, and two civilians were also injured. The assassin was killed when he ran to a building and police sent in a remote control robot with a bomb attached.