Constable: Standoff suspect pointed gun at deputy constable as door was unlocked during eviction

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The sound of tear gas being fired echoed up and down Alamo Drive in Tyler on Friday afternoon during a standoff situation with a barricaded suspect.

According to officials, at approximately 10 a.m., Smith County Precinct 1 Constable Ralph Caraway Jr. and a deputy constable responded to the 1600 block of Alamo Dr. in Tyler. Upon arrival, they attempted to serve an eviction notice to Curtis Clark at the residence. They used the patrol vehicle public address system to announce their presence. Once at the front door, they loudly knocked and continued to identify themselves as Precinct 1 constables while wearing distinctly marked uniforms.

“Upon the locksmith unlocking the door, as they proceeded to push the door open, the suspect pointed what appeared to be a barrel from a firearm,” said Caraway.

Caraway contacted Sheriff Smith for assistance from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and SWAT. Patrol deputies, the SWAT team and negotiators were sent to the location and arrived a short time later. After radioing for immediate assistance, Smith County deputies set up a perimeter around the residence. Tyler Police Department officers responded, as well. All efforts to negotiate with Curtis Clark were unsuccessful.

At 1:15 p.m., an arrest warrant was issued by 114th State District Judge Austin Reeve Jackson with the felony offense of aggravated assault on a public servant with a bond of $500,000. A search warrant was also issued for a search of the premises and the person.

Clark posted videos to his personal Facebook page during the standoff and could be heard saying, “Imma (sic) go out like a soldier.”

“You never know what a person is going through; you never know where their mindset is, so it’s just a situation that when you go there, you never know what to expect,” Caraway said.

Over two hours later, Smith County SWAT deployed tear gas into the residence from different sides of the house. At 2:45 p.m., Clark came out of the residence and was taken into custody.

“That’s what we’re looking for in this situation,” Caraway said. “We’re very thankful for the experience from what we have at this particular office and the resources that the sheriff’s office has that we were able to get the subject out of the residence. No one was injured, no officers were injured and the suspect was not injured.”

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