Dallas County assistant DA found dead hours after suspected DWI incident
The Dallas County district attorney's office gathered on Tuesday to grieve the sudden passing of one of their lead prosecutors, 44-year-old Justin Lord.
FOX 4 is now learning more about the suspected DWI incident leading up to Lord's death. However, the DA's office is not addressing how he died.
The incident happened in the Ellis County town of Palmer. The Palmer Police Department released the body camera video. It shows Lord was calm and compliant, but he was clearly confused about where he was.
For Lord's colleagues, Tuesday was the first day back after learning of his death. It was their first chance to grieve someone who's been a key figure in the office for years and prosecuting some of the biggest cases.
Employees of the Dallas County District Attorney's Office shared their grief after Lord's sudden weekend death.
As the chief of the felony division, Lord prosecuted some of the highest profile cases during his 18 years with the DA's office. A spokeswoman says 10 grief counselors and two grief dogs were made available to staff.
Palmer police body camera video from around 1:30 a.m. Saturday shows a disoriented Lord when officers discovered him walking down the street with a bloody nose. They say he had abandoned his car, which he drove into a nearby ditch.
When police asked Lord where he was going, he told them he'd left a bar in Dallas and thought he was close to his home in Rowlett. They say he was cooperative, provided his district attorney's office identification and thanked police for doing their job.
Lord was transported to a local hospital for a blood draw for suspicion of DWI. Police say someone picked him up and took him home, where he was later found dead.
What the DA's office is not addressing is how Lord died.
On Saturday, a statement from Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot went out saying Lord was "not only a dedicated attorney, he was also an unwavering advocate for our community."
Lord was not facing any charges pending the outcome of the blood draw results. Rowlett police say they are conducting the death investigation, but they are referring all questions to the Dallas County DA's office.