Posted 3:03 am Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Suspect Kills Self Following Escape
By CINDY MALLETTE
Staff Writer
ATHENS - Texas Rangers are investigating a suicide case in which a handcuffed man stole a sheriff's deputy's squad car, drove it to a wooded area and shot himself with the deputy's rifle.
Lt. Pat McWilliams, public information officer for the Henderson County Sheriff's Department, said Justin Taylor Boswell, 21, shot and killed himself in a rural area off of County Road 1500, about five miles west of Athens.
McWilliams said about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to a call that Boswell was beating up his mother.
When officers arrived at the home, Boswell's brother, James Aaron Boswell, 28, showed up and the two began to fight with the officers. McWilliams said one deputy broke his hand and another received a bloody lip in the fight.
Deputies arrested the elder Boswell, and he remains in custody at the Henderson County Jail. He faces one charge of interference with a police officer, one charge of resisting arrest and one charge of assault on a public servant.
McWilliams said officers also handcuffed Justin Boswell and put him in a deputy's squad car. He said Boswell kicked in the Plexiglas divider between the front and back seats of the squad car and climbed into the driver's seat.
He said Boswell drove down County Road 1500, broke through a gate and abandoned the squad car in a pasture.
Although he was wearing both handcuffs and leg shackles, McWilliams said Boswell was able to escape officers for several hours. McWilliams said he couldn't explain how Boswell was able to break through the Plexiglas and steal the squad car to begin with.
About 7 p.m., deputies discovered Boswell lying in a wooded area with a gunshot wound. Tommy Barnett, Precinct 5 justice of the peace, declared Boswell dead shortly after 7:30 p.m.
McWilliams said Boswell has a criminal history involving drug and family violence charges. He said Boswell was arrested most recently in May for assault.
Staff Writer
ATHENS - Texas Rangers are investigating a suicide case in which a handcuffed man stole a sheriff's deputy's squad car, drove it to a wooded area and shot himself with the deputy's rifle.
Lt. Pat McWilliams, public information officer for the Henderson County Sheriff's Department, said Justin Taylor Boswell, 21, shot and killed himself in a rural area off of County Road 1500, about five miles west of Athens.
McWilliams said about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies responded to a call that Boswell was beating up his mother.
When officers arrived at the home, Boswell's brother, James Aaron Boswell, 28, showed up and the two began to fight with the officers. McWilliams said one deputy broke his hand and another received a bloody lip in the fight.
Deputies arrested the elder Boswell, and he remains in custody at the Henderson County Jail. He faces one charge of interference with a police officer, one charge of resisting arrest and one charge of assault on a public servant.
McWilliams said officers also handcuffed Justin Boswell and put him in a deputy's squad car. He said Boswell kicked in the Plexiglas divider between the front and back seats of the squad car and climbed into the driver's seat.
He said Boswell drove down County Road 1500, broke through a gate and abandoned the squad car in a pasture.
Although he was wearing both handcuffs and leg shackles, McWilliams said Boswell was able to escape officers for several hours. McWilliams said he couldn't explain how Boswell was able to break through the Plexiglas and steal the squad car to begin with.
About 7 p.m., deputies discovered Boswell lying in a wooded area with a gunshot wound. Tommy Barnett, Precinct 5 justice of the peace, declared Boswell dead shortly after 7:30 p.m.
McWilliams said Boswell has a criminal history involving drug and family violence charges. He said Boswell was arrested most recently in May for assault.
