HEMPHILL, Texas – A man accused of shooting at someone in a bank drive-thru then pointing a gun at a Sabine County sheriff’s deputy and a school district police chief is in custody following a search early Monday morning, according to a news release from Sheriff George Griffith's office.
One shot was also fired at the gunman before he ran into the woods, prompting the search. But neither he nor anyone else was injured.
The Sabine County Sheriff’s Office said a call came in around 3 a.m. from a resident who said he was shot at while in the drive-thru at Sabine State Bank. The gunman reportedly was armed with a long gun.
While in a nearby parking lot, a deputy saw a man sneaking up behind his marked patrol unit and aiming a gun at him. The deputy assumed a cover position and the man ran.
Additional deputies and Hemphill police arrived to help find the armed man. Meanwhile, the Hemphill Independent School District police chief was en route to begin securing the school grounds in the area and saw a man walking along Texas 87 North near the lumber store.
The chief turned around to make contact with the man only to have a rifle pointed at him. The chief fired once before the man ran, the sheriff's office said.
The wooded area was saturated with deputies, who set up a perimeter. The man was located and taken to the Sabine County Jail.
The gunman was identified as Kenneth Robert Judah, 25, of Hemphill. He is held on charges of aggravated assault and two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer. His bond is pending.