JASPER, Texas — A 67-year-old Jasper man was fatally shot in his home by Jasper Police officers while they were serving a search warrant early Tuesday morning.
At about 5 a.m., Jasper officers and a special agent from the DPS Criminal Investigations Division served a search warrant at a home in the 100 block of Parker Dr in Jasper according to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
According to preliminary investigation by Texas Rangers, when the two Jasper officers entered and were "clearing" the house a suspect began firing at them. One of the Jasper officers was hit in his ballistic vest, according to DPS.
Both Jasper officers returned fire, killing the suspect, according to the statement.
The injured officer was taken by ambulance to Jasper Memorial Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, the statement said. The bullet may not have penetrated his vest Jasper Police said in an earlier statement.
Elvin Dean Land, 67, of Jasper, died after being shot by police in his bedroom at his home, according to his cousin, Michael Monroe, of Jasper, who spoke with 12News at the scene.
"He was in his bedroom asleep and you go in shooting," said Monroe.
Property records show that Land owned the home which is just south of U.S. Highway 190, less than a mile from the intersection of U.S. Highway 96 and U.S. Highway 190.
Monroe said he believes that, with the warrant being served at 5 a.m., Land may not have realized police were at his door.
He tells 12News that police told him they were serving a warrant when Land was fatally shot but they did not know why he was shot.
Police arrested two other men at the home, Monroe told 12News. The two men were acquaintances of Land, according to Monroe.
"It was a couple of guys that were arrested, and they continued on and they went into my cousins bedroom. They shot him there, so I was just wondering what was the reason that the other two came out in handcuffs and my cousin came out dead? An elderly man," said Monroe.
Monroe described Land as a nice older man who enjoyed going to church and said he did not understand why Land would have been shot.
"I'm not understanding. He wasn't a trouble maker, not the ones that they looking for," said Monroe.
Family friend Fredrick Renfro is still trying to make sense of what led up to the shooting.
"Have you been woken up at that time of morning and startled? The first thing you say is 'please don't do that', because it scares you it alarms you. So I would just imagine that he was alarmed and feared for his life, I really do."
Land's friends and family say that he may not have realized that it was police entering his home, because he had been shot by a home intruder just last year.
"This man was afraid for his life, because he'd been shot before, looking out of his window. Somebody was trying to break into his home," a neighbor told 12News.
A community meeting to discuss the fatal shooting was held at 5 p.m. Tuesday evening at Nehemiah Family Life Center at 640 Pollard St in Jasper, according to Mamie Horn.
There heartbroken friends and family members gathered and demanded answers.
"Cold blooded murder. Mr. Land was ambushed," a distressed family member told 12News.
Land's cousin Tamika Robinson is now demanding a change in city leadership.
"When it comes to African Americans and the police department and police, especially our white officers, it's the same thing over and over. History repeats itself, especially in this small town. We've got to get a new police chief and mayor," said Robinson.
Texas Rangers with the Texas Department of Public Safety are an investigation of the shooting which is standard procedure when a police officer is involved in a shooting. Jasper Police will also be conducting their own internal review of the shooting.
Both investigations are underway and no other information has been released by Jasper Police at this time.
Land's family hired attorney Jonathan Goins, and he said that they are planning to sue The City of Jasper, the Jasper Police Department, the officers involved, and the Jasper County Sheriff's Office.
Goins also said that Land was being treated for PTSD from a prior home invasion where he was shot and that the police department should have had that in their data base.
"Anything that Mr. Land did at that moment was to protect himself. They did not have to go in there and use that amount of force. I understand that there were over 20 bullet casings found from police weapons," said Goins.
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
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