Posted 11:50 pm Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Send to Kindle
1 man in custody after Tuesday shooting
Staff Reports
A Tyler man is in custody following a shooting at a home near Rose Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
According to police, about three people were sitting on the porch at 907 Turner St. shortly before 2 p.m., when a white Crown Victoria stopped in front. Its passengers got out of the car to talk to several people in the front yard.
Police spokesman Don Martin said witnesses said someone in the car wanted to borrow a shovel from the home.
After about 10 minutes of standing around talking, a man who came in the car pulled out a gun and shot Christopher Demetrious Crockett, 28, of Tyler, one time in the lower left arm while he was standing on the porch.
Police believe a .22-caliber handgun found in the front yard of the residence was used in the shooting.
Martin said following the incident, several people got back into the car and fled the scene.
Officers located the vehicle at Connally and Hurt streets a short time after the shooting, and its occupants were taken to the department for questioning.
After questioning, detectives arrested Bennie Jewels Williams III, 20, of Tyler, and charged him with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.
Crockett was taken to East Texas Medical Center with what authorities described as non life-threatening injuries. He was treated and released.
Sonia Denmark said her son lives next door, and when she heard about the incident she instantly thought her son, also named Chris, was injured. Ms. Denmark said she is thankful her family was unharmed.
Ms. Denmark described the neighborhood as a place where families live and children like to play outside.
"People bring their kids around to play with other kids," she said. "This street used to be bad, but things have changed a lot."
She said she is thankful school was still in session at the time of the incident.
"It could have been worse because bullets travel," she said.
Staff Writer Faith Harper contributed to this report.
