Democratic Dallas County DA challenger criticizes Creuzot’s record on police brutality, bail reform

Elizabeth Frizell, the Democrat challenging Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot in March’s primary election, says she is seeking a rematch against Creuzot because the incumbent broke two key campaign promises. Frizell, speaking to The Dallas Morning News’ editorial board Friday, accused Creuzot of failing to address police brutality and to reform the cash bail system in the first three years of his term. Creuzot, who also took part in the virtual interview, said he has prosecuted police officers and is limited in the power his office has to eliminate cash bail. “They were very important to me because I made those promises also and I know they’re important to the community,” Frizell said.

Frizell, who like Creuzot is a former state district judge, narrowly lost the 2018 Democratic primary to him. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican candidate Faith Johnson, who is unopposed in her primary. Frizell said she was concerned about specific cases in which law enforcement officers accused of brutality and public officials accused of corruption were not prosecuted by Creuzot’s office. She cited the cases of Tony Timpa, an unarmed man who died after he was restrained by Dallas officers, facedown in the grass with a knee in his back for 13 minutes, and Kyle Vess, a homeless, unarmed man who was hospitalized after a Dallas-Fire Rescue paramedic kicked and punched him. Creuzot dismissed the misdemeanor deadly conduct charges against the Dallas officers who had been indicted in Timpa’s death, and he said his office “dropped the ball” on investigating the firefighter who kicked Vess before the statute of limitations expired on potential crimes. But Frizell incorrectly claimed that Creuzot had prosecuted “zero” officers. Creuzot pointed to cases including that of Amber Guyger, who was convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing Botham Jean, an unarmed man who was in his own apartment she said she mistook as hers.