PANOLA COUNTY, Texas — A Carthage man is in jail accused of shooting two women, one of whom died, and kidnapping a 2-year-old child before surrendering to police after a 10-hour standoff Wednesday evening.
On February 21, 2018, around 10 p.m., police responded to a 911 call on Private Road 622 and found Elaine Johnson, 44, dead from six gunshot wounds. They also discovered 21-year-old Raven Dotrey suffering from three gunshot wounds but alert and able to talk.
Dotrey identified the shooter as Jeffrey Mickens, 47, of Carthage.
According to Dotrey, she and Johnson arrived at the house with Dotrey's 2-year-old child in the back seat. While still in the car, Johnson and Mickens got into an argument, then Mickens shot into the car several times hitting the women. The child was not hurt.
Dotrey was able to get out of the car, and Johnson tried to drive away, but slammed into a nearby house. Mickens ran to the car, pulled Johnson out of the driver's seat, then got into the car and drove away with the child still in the car seat, officials say.
Police say Mickens abandoned the car, not far from the scene, with the child still inside. A passerby saw the child and took her to his house to call 911. The child was uninjured.
Meanwhile, Mickens had returned to the scene and managed to get into his neighbor's house. When deputies approached the house, Mickens shot through the door, narrowly missing a deputy, officials say.
Mickens surrendered 10 hours later, after allegedly firing at least nine more rounds from inside the house. Police say he gave himself up as a tactical team began an assault to gain entry.
The suspect was booked into the Panola County Jail charged with murder, attempted capital murder of a peace officer, aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping. His bonds total more than $2 million.
