A man is in custody after shooting to Bowie County Sheriff’s Deputies early Sunday morning. Both deputies have been treated and released by medical personnel.
In the early morning hours of September 17, 2017 Bowie County Deputies were dispatched to assist the DeKalb Volunteer Fire Department (DVFD) with a house fire in the 4600 block of FM 44 East. They were informed the home owner, Bryan Lee Batchelor, was not wanting them to put out the fire and pointing a firearm at the members of the fire department.
Batchelor jumped in his truck driving into a pasture to elude deputies as they arrived. Deputy Eric McMillian was the first one to arrive at this address and Deputy Westin Fannin who is a member of the DVFD rode with Deputy McMillian to locate Batchelor. While the two deputies were driving through a field to get to Batchelor, their vehicle became stuck. Batchelor rammed the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) unit the two deputies were in while they were unable to move.
Batchelor then discharged several rounds at the deputies while they returned gunfire. Both Deputies suffered gunshot wounds from this exchange but were not critically injured.
Batchelor once again fled in his vehicle and was spotted on County Road 4241 by Deputy Clint Freeman. Deputy Freeman could see that Batchelor once again had intentions of striking his vehicle with a deputies’ patrol unit. He attempted to maneuver his vehicle out of Batchelor’s way to avoid this collision, but was unsuccessful. This rendered Deputy Freeman’s vehicle inoperable. It was at this time that deputies lost sight of Batchelor and did not know where he had hid.
Lieutenant Chris Allison and Deputy Martin McGee were in the area looking for Batchelor. They found him on County Road 4235 when Batchelor turned his vehicle’s exterior lights on. Batchelor yet again intentionally drove at and smashed into a BCSO patrol unit. A second exchange of gunfire took place at this location. BCSO deputies were able to take Batchelor into custody at this time. They treated Batchelor for his injuries until medical personnel arrived. Batchelor was transported the hospital where he remains in the custody of BCSO at this time.
All of the deputies who received injuries at the hand of Batchelor during this ordeal, have been treated and released by medical personnel.
