MARSHALL, Texas — **EDITOR'S NOTE -- the video attached was produced in June 2021.
The Marshall Police Department have recovered three firearms in the past week that may have been related to recent shooting incidents inside Marshall city limits.
Patrol officers were dispatched to the 900 block of East Pinecrest on Thursday, January 20, following a tip stating that a blue Hyundai was driving recklessly in the parking lot. When arriving at the scene, officers made contact with the people inside the vehicle and discovered marijuana and a loaded Glock 19 in the area of the front passenger seat. This resulted in 17-year-old Eric Lavigne of Marshall being arrested and charged with Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon.
On Saturday, January 22, a burgundy, four-door vehicle was alleged to have been involved in a drive-by shooting. The vehicle was found at Belaire Manor Apartments, where a quantity of drugs and another Glock 19 was found inside of the vehicle. An officer took custody of the drugs and the pistol pending further investigation and released the individual who had taken responsibility for both items. This case remains open, and charges are pending.
Also on January 22, an MPD patrol sergeant was conducting surveillance on a location that had been involved in multiple reports of a vehicle repeatedly driving by residences. The citizens living at these residences expressed concerns that the driver of a Chrysler 300 would shoot at their houses.
The Chrysler 300 was found and followed to a gas station on West Grand, where he attempted to make contact with the driver. The driver took off from the gas station and nearly caused a crash when he left the parking lot; the sergeant pursued the vehicle across the west side of town until the driver of the Chrysler 300 lost control of his vehicle at the intersection of Travis and South Washington, and surrendered. The driver, identified as Jacovan Clayborn, was taken into custody without further incident. A loaded Glock 23 and two additional loaded magazines were located on the driver’s seat of the vehicle. The Glock was reported stolen during a residential burglary in the city of Marshall.
Clayborn was booked into the Harrison County Jail charged with Evading Arrest/ Detention with a Vehicle, Theft of a Firearm, Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of Firearm by a Felon, Theft of DL/Com DL/ID certificate, Possession of Marijuana, in addition to an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation (Theft of Firearm).
Chief of Police Cliff Carruth said, “I am proud of the diligent work of the officers of our Patrol Division. They are working hard to protect our community, and getting guns out of the hands of people who should not have them. We will continue to seek out the individuals who choose to use firearms illegally and bring them to justice.”