Bobby Gerald Bennett, a 52-year-old man from Dallas, Texas, was shot and killed on October 14, 2013, after police responded to a 911 call from his mother reporting that he was violent and had a knife. Officers found Bennett sitting in a swivel chair in the middle of a cul-de-sac; according to Officer Cardan Spencer, Bennett lunged at them with a knife and was shot within about 30 seconds of their arrival. A neighbor’s surveillance video, however, showed Bennett standing still with his arms at his side when he was shot, a discrepancy that prompted public outcry and scrutiny of the Dallas Police Department’s actions.

Officer Spencer was fired and charged with felony aggravated assault. The aggravated assault charge against Bennett was dropped. The case produced a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Dallas; in 2015 the city agreed to pay Bennett $1.6 million to settle that suit. The incident raised questions about police tactics and the handling of people with mental illness.