Posted 12:43 pm Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Law Enforcement Officials Round Up East Texas Felons Today
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
They gathered under the amber lights in the parking lot of the Smith County 911 Center early this morning with one goal in mind —- to roundup dangerous felons who were wanted on outstanding felony warrants.
Staff Writer
They gathered under the amber lights in the parking lot of the Smith County 911 Center early this morning with one goal in mind —- to roundup dangerous felons who were wanted on outstanding felony warrants.
The undeniable sound of clips being loaded into automatic assault rifles, then a round being chambered, were heard as the many members of law enforcement donned full protective body armor, checked their firearms and split into teams.
The members of the roundup represented U.S. marshals, FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and rangers, Tyler, Whitehouse and Bullard police departments and the Smith County Sheriff’s Department.
U.S. Deputy Marshal Anton Slavich said the roundup was an annual event to help local law enforcement clear up their back-logged felony warrants.
Slavich led one team to four different locations as five other teams hit target areas at the same time.
Slavich led one team to four different locations as five other teams hit target areas at the same time.
The convoy of state trooper cars, SUVs and other marked police cars snaked through the early morning darkness as they approached the first stop on Slavich’s list which resulted in a man being apprehended about 5:45 this morning in the 13400 block of Cascade Road in the county.
Officials at the scene said the man, identified as Larry Rowan, 47, of Tyler, was wanted by ATF for weapons violations and that he was apprehended while holding a soldering iron and possibly some type of drug paraphernalia.
Quickly the man was whisked away in a Whitehouse Police SUV to the 911 center where he was scheduled to be arraigned.
U.S. Marshals meet with other local, state and federal law enforcement officers at Lindsey Park in the early morning on Wednesday before going out to serve warrants and make arrests. The U.S. Marshals coordinated at two-day a warrant round up through out Smith County.
The team quickly conferred over where to hit next, then while the iron was hot they struck again, this time nabbing a probation violator when he opened the front door in his home in the 11800 block of Sycamore Street, north of Texas Highway 64 west.
The man, who cooperated with the officers, acknowledged TylerPaper.com reporters on the scene as he was placed into the back of a patrol unit.
The man, who cooperated with the officers, acknowledged TylerPaper.com reporters on the scene as he was placed into the back of a patrol unit.
Soon the team was en route to a destination northeast of Lindale. Only this time no one was home. After meeting for a few minutes, Slavich led the team to Troup where the fourth person they were looking for was reported to live. He was not home.
Slavich said information about the round-up and its success would be forthcoming this afternoon once the two-day operation was completed in the Smith County area.
The Tyler Paper will continue to follow the story as it develops.
The Tyler Paper will continue to follow the story as it develops.
