Beaumont man dies in shootout
http://www.familybadge.org/index.cfm/act/newsletter.cfm/category/texas%20police%20news/Startrow/11/MenuGroup/Home/NewsletterID/11275.htm

BEAUMONT - James Thomas Lee Hughes of Orange County was shot and killed Wednesday during a high-speed chase and shootout with local law enforcement officers.
The 38-year-old attempted to evade a narcotics checkpoint set up by local law enforcement agencies on Interstate 10 and Brooks Road, police officer Crystal Holmes said.

Driving a purple Nissan pickup truck, Hughes left the interstate and pulled into a nearby parking lot, Holmes said. When he realized there was no exit, he pulled back onto the feeder road traveling east, which caught officers' attention.

They followed the pickup onto Smith Road to Fannett Road, where the driver stopped, drew a pistol and began firing on officers from the sliding window in his cab, Holmes said.

Officers returned fire and Hughes drove off, still firing at them, Holmes said. He turned onto Tyrrell Park Road and pulled into the driveway of a random residence in the 5200 block, barely hitting the house.

When officers pulled up, Hughes drew a semiautomatic AR-15 assault rifle and began firing, Holmes said. He hit one car with two Beaumont police officers inside and a second vehicle with a sheriff's deputy inside. They returned fire, she said.

During the gunfight, Hughes stepped from his truck and fell forward onto the ground. He was alive at the scene, but was declared dead shortly after being transported to Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital.

An autopsy will be performed to determine which weapon fired the fatal bullet, Holmes said. No officers were injured.

Inside the truck, officers found multiple weapons, including two assault rifles. Also found were military paraphernalia, including Meals Ready to Eat and maps.

Witnesses are being interviewed at the police department.

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Shoot-out leads to death of OC man
http://www.orangeleader.com/articles/2005/08/25/news/news2.txt

By Royal M. Hopper III


The Orange Leader

A 38-year-old Orange County man has died in an exchange of gunfire with Beaumont Police after fleeing a drug checkpoint and firing an assault rifle at them.

James Thomas Hughes, 38, a Bridge City resident was pronounced dead at a Beaumont Hospital bout 1 p.m. Wednesday after a brief chase and gun battle with police.

Beaumont police were manning a drug-interdiction checkpoint on Interstate 10 near the Goodyear Chemical plant about noon, said Beaumont police officer Crystal Holmes said. They became suspicious when they observed a small, purple truck quickly exit the highway.

The truck crossed the service road, fishtailed through the grassy area near the feeder road and entered the Goodyear parking lot. It then exited the parking lot and fled the scene on the service road to Smith Road.

Officers attempted to stop the truck by activating their emergency lights and sirens, but the vehicle continued its flight down Texas 124.

Hughes stopped the truck on Texas 124, and egan shooting at officers through a sliding glass window in the cab of truck, according to a press release filed by the department.

Officers returned fire, and Hughes sped away, continuing to fire at officers as he drove. The chase ended when Hughes pulled into a driveway in the 5200 block of Tyrrell Park Road and the truck came to rest against the house.

The man then produced a civilian version of the M-16 rifle, called the AR-15 and once again began firing at officers through the driver's door window.

A Jefferson County Sheriff's Office deputy and two Beaumont Police officers returned fire and the 38-year-old Hughes staggered and fell to the ground, according to officers' statements.

Hughes was taken to a Beaumont Hospital with what was described as a shotgun wound to the chest and was pronounced dead about 1 p.m.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol Tabacco and Firearms discovered ammunition, maps, clothing and military-style ready-to-eat meals in duffel bags in the truck.

Besides the AR-15, officers discovered a .308 assault rifle with a bayonet, a .30 caliber assault rifle, a .38 caliber revolver, .22 caliber revolver, a .45 caliber revolver and a Glock .357 caliber automatic pistol. All the guns were loaded.

Hughes also had three knives, multiple maps of Texas cities, including Port Arthur, and military paraphernalia and multiple bags of ammunition for the weapons.

The Beaumont Police Department interdiction vehicle was discovered to have two holes in the metal roof just above the driver's head and in the left rear window where the K-9 search dog is kept. No officers were reported injured in the gunfire and all three officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave with pay, standard procedure with officer involved shootings.

According to information provided by the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Hughes was arrested in March 2004 by the Orange County Sheriff's Office on three fugitive-from-justice warrants out of Calcesieu Parish, one for attempted murder and two for criminal damage or vandalism charges.

He was sent to Calcesieu Parish to face those charges a few days later and bonded out of jail there in May for this year, said M. Taylor of the Calcesieu Parish jail.

great

more ammo for the antis

semi auto assult weapon, where can i buy one?

So he ran from a drug check point but didn't have any drugs?  

Mark my words: this will be used against us.

Quoted: So he ran from a drug check point but didn't have any drugs?

The guy was a felon remember and he had guns.
If I was in his shoes and saw a checkpoint, I would turn around too.

Rereading the article, it is not really clear what he was running from.
He had warrents issued for his arrest in the past, but that does not say he was convicted.

Of course, even if I wasn't in his shoes, I would have turned around.
I am an American citizen - I will not suffer the unconstitutionality of checkpoints.

But I thought everyone else, especially children, would die once the "AR-15 style assault rifle" comes out?

Quoted: Contrary to popular belief, there really are total whack jobs out there who are armed and are most certainly dangerous.  To deny this simple fact is to deny reality.  I wonder which board this particular loon posted on?

I hope you are not insinuating he was one of ours.
He prolly was a stormfronter.

I don't see how he is a survivalist.
He had some MREs - w00t?

i would hardly call him a "survivalist" just because he had some "military paraphernalia" and mre's in his truck - whackjob, yes. survivalist, no.

Darwinism at its best:  Felon in possession

Shit, unless he had a record or warrants, why in the hell did he run?

I've been through a shitload of Border Patrol checkpoints in the last couple of years-enough in one area that I think they actually recognize me-and am ALWAYS carrying and have had NO problems. In fact, after a side-of-the-highway firefight between a couple of coyotes (smugglers) and the BP and DPS I started carrying one of my ARs or my AK with me as well on trips.

One time I came to the BP checkpoint and was stopped. A female BP agent walks up to my truck, looks me and my help over and asks what I have in the recliner chair-sized box in the bed of my pickup. (big enough to fit an IA or two in it)
ME: "Well, it had a chair in it but now it's empty". (I needed to re-use the box so I had to bring it home without breaking it down)
HER: "Do you have any weapons?"
ME:"Well, as far as I know I don't need to answer that question-but I will. I have a handgun in that fannypack (pointing to my CCW fannypack on the seat) and an AR-15 in a case behind the seat".
HER: "OK, well, have a nice day" as she waved me on.

Ever since then I never needed to stop when I went through this checkpoint. I'd slow almost to a stop and they'd wave me through-even though I never again saw the female BP agent.

"narcotics checkpoint set up by local law enforcement agencies on Interstate 10"




"narcotics checkpoints" WTF?

Anyone heard from Nationwide lately?

Quoted: i would hardly call him a "survivalist" just because he had some "military paraphernalia" and mre's in his truck - whackjob, yes. survivalist, no.

MRE's, maps, knives, boatloads of guns and ammo was my iniitial thinking.

Quoted: Maps are now military paraphernalia.

Ypu.  If you have the know how to do something, you might, and that makes you a threat.

Quoted: i would hardly call him a "survivalist" just because he had some "military paraphernalia" and mre's in his truck - whackjob, yes. survivalist, no.

clearly not a very *good* "survivalist"

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Contrary to popular belief, there really are total whack jobs out there who are armed and are most certainly dangerous.  To deny this simple fact is to deny reality.  I wonder which board this particular loon posted on? I hope you are not insinuating he was one of ours. He prolly was a stormfronter. I don't see how he is a survivalist. He had some MREs - w00t? We have, over the years, had our share of whack jobs pass through.  I believe on is currently sitting in Federal Prison for trying to give military secrets to the enemy.  On another board, one of their members opened fire on a deputy sheriff after nutting up.  Boards like ours and others will always draw that crowd as often they don't realize how truly nuts they are and hope to find like minded people here and elsewhere.  Most don't last long here, but others are more open to them, probably without meaning to be.

good point.
i just don't want to be associated with any of those kind of people.
i think you are right - some of them DO come here hoping to find like minded folks, but they leave after a post or two.

Great.... Thanks asshole, that will give them yet another story to add to the ban-em-all file.  

So what the hell is a narcotics checkpoint.  Every time I hear that word used like it's no big deal it really angers me.

Quoted: Anyone heard from Nationwide lately?

Purple Nissan.  Even I don't think NW would be caught dead in a purple Nissan.

I could be wrong though.

Quoted: If I buy a "very small purple truck" can I be a "survivalist" too??

No you need MRE's and a Map apperantly.  Add an almanac and camera to that and you can graduate to terrorist suspect!!!!  

Sounds to me like the guy had planned an attack/shooting rampage somewhere and panicked when approaching the checkpoint. Maps & MRE's were probably to aid him in his escape....

Sounds like the checkpoint inadvertently foiled something that would have been MUCH worse.
Why else would he be carrying so many loaded guns ???
Maps ?
MRE's ?

C'mon....

Just my thoughts...

At least he was killed and no one else was reported as harmed. That's what matters. I hate dipshits like this. Good to see that at least one was removed from the populace.

Quoted: Sounds to me like the guy had planned an attack/shooting rampage somewhere and panicked when approaching the checkpoint. Maps & MRE's were probably to aid him in his escape.... Sounds like the checkpoint inadvertently foiled something that would have been MUCH worse. Why else would he be carrying so many loaded guns ??? Maps ? MRE's ? C'mon.... Just my thoughts...

Yeah. His behavior really caught my attntion. Compound that with the maps and MRE's and to top it all off his rifles in the back were loaded and ready to go. Sounds like this guy had something planned.

Quoted: Was there an assault wheelbarrow in the bed of the little purple truck?

makes one wonder.  

He shot himself...LINK

And ran because of THIS

I thought that as long as you LEGALLY turn around and go the other way, that is not probable cause for a stop.

Maybe that's just in PA.  On the one hand, it's good that a whackjob was exterminated... but they shouldn't have chased him in that circumstance.  Making a legal turn and going the other way isn't against the law.

Quoted: Why else would he be carrying so many loaded guns ???

Dude, this IS Texas.  Lots of people carry loaded guns here.  It's legal to carry around loaded rifles with no paperwork.

Although it sounds to me like this guy may have had a warrent out on him which could explain why he ran.

Sounds like we have an Moderator slot to fill now!

Oh, well.

Quoted: "narcotics checkpoint set up by local law enforcement agencies on Interstate 10" "narcotics checkpoints" WTF?

They do this shit in Tennesse.

Quoted: Quoted: "narcotics checkpoint set up by local law enforcement agencies on Interstate 10" "narcotics checkpoints" WTF? They do this shit in Tennesse.

Yup, they do.  They say it's to check for seatbelts, but I find it hard to believe the state wants to use the man-hours to complete such a mundane task.  I40 and I55 are hit hard by these types of roadblocks.

Could this guy have been running because his AR was unregistered?  If so, it's another senseless death due to gun control legislation.  

Never mind.  I saw "Orange County" and I assumed this was in CA.  

Quoted: Quoted: Anyone heard from Nationwide lately? Purple Nissan.  Even I don't think NW would be caught dead in a purple Nissan. I could be wrong though.

I just heard "MRE's, AR15, maps"

..and immediately thought of him.
I think he posted a pic of all of the above once.

no fatal shot, the police were sitting on his chest with their hands around his neck...and he mysteriously died...imagine that.

at least we won't be paying for this puke to have a bunk in jail.

Essayons

I hear that they are doing a head count over at assweb.





just kidding

45 caliber revolver and a glock .357     how about a glock .45 and a .357 revolver  that is unless it was a .357 sig but a .45 revolver you don't see many of them anymore.

Quoted: Could this guy have been running because his AR was unregistered?  If so, it's another senseless death due to gun control legislation.

do they require that ar15 be registered in that state they don't in PA

Quoted: I hear that they are doing a head count over at assweb. just kidding

Come on, you know a lot of guys here are thinking "that makes sense"

As for the checkpoint,  that has me puzzled.  I don't know of any Texas dept that does them as most Arfcommers understand them (checking EVERY car.)

Now, they could be at the DPS waystation checking commercial trucks and this guy just nutted out because there were more than two police officers in one spot.

it's not just a simple turning around that got everyone's attention, it sounds more like a "Dukes of Hazard" evasion attempt.

When someone jumps a divider, goes across the median then thru a parking lot,  well, you've gotta wonder why.

BTW:  Notice the green furniture on the AR?

Quoted: Maps are now military paraphernalia.

That's exactly what I thought... I choked on "semi"automatic but made it past, and finally got hit with the map bullsh*t

Okay, somebody tell me: is a LEGAL turnaround at a DUI or narcotics checkpoint probable cause? Shouldn't be, but I'll bet that in Amerika it is. Otherwise the "fishing expedition" won't work.

What ARfcommer is missing?

Thank GOD he didn't bayonet anyone.