East Texas

By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer

LONGVIEW -- Police and federal authorities took another swing at driving violent crime out of Longview Tuesday morning with the arrests of three gang members.

Longview Police Public Information Officer Kevin Brownlee said the three men were arrested in a combined law enforcement effort involving the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, FBI, the East Texas Violent Crime Task Force and the Longview Police Department.

Brownlee said federal conspiracy charges were also added to Devetrick Johnson, who is currently in jail for the death of Jimmy Fitts that occurred on July 20.

"These arrests, and subsequent charges, are the continuation of an initiative that began earlier this year to put a halt to members of organized violent crime enterprises in Longview and other parts of East Texas," he said.