BOWIE COUNTY, Texas–A Texarkana man who was allegedly armed and wearing body armor on the Red River Bridge earlier this month, frightening people there fishing, has been charged with multiple felonies and driving while intoxicated.
Jason Gary Hall, 47, was the subject of an emergency call to the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office on May 5 regarding a man wearing body armor who was armed with a handgun and behaving erratically at a spot along the Red River Bridge where people were fishing, according to a probable cause affidavit. As a deputy drove along FM 991 toward the bridge, he was flagged down by someone who warned him to “be careful” of the man in the Ford F-150 who was acting strangely.
In an interaction with deputies, Hall allegedly slurred his words while speaking and an open bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey was sitting in the truck’s center console. A Beretta 9 mm handgun that was sitting on the truck’s dash was unloaded by a deputy and a number of other weapons were also collected, including a crossbow, a 30.06 rifle, an AR rifle and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun, the affidavit said.
Hall allegedly has prior convictions for felony aggravated driving while intoxicated in the State of Arizona. Those convictions mean Hall is prohibited from possessing a firearm in the Lone Star State.
Hall was arrested for driving while intoxicated, possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful possession of body armor. He is currently free on bonds totaling $55,000.
If convicted, Hall faces two to 20 years in prison on the firearm charge. The case has been assigned to 102nd District Judge Jeff Addison.
