TEXARKANA, Texas–A report of a man carrying a whip and a machete inside a busy, popular fast food restaurant on New Boston Road in Texarkana brought police to the area on Saturday, according to court records.
Kevin Xavier O’Keefe Neal, 32, had allegedly walked out of the Golden Arches before officers with the Texarkana Texas Police Dept. arrived, according to a probable cause affidavit. As Neal walked along the roadway, several officers approached on foot and requested that he drop the machete and the whip, but Neal continued on a path that would end on Texas Blvd. with congested traffic and a wounded officer.
Neal allegedly waved the machete around “erratically” as officers attempting to get him to stop threatened to use his pepper spray gun if he didn’t put the weapons down, the affidavit alleges. Nearby on New Boston Road was a tire shop, where customers were inside and milling outside in the parking lot.
Neal, who was later determined to be under the influence of both meth and cocaine, was “unfazed” by the officer’s JPX pepper spray gun, despite numerous doses, the affidavit said. Though he did pull a toboggan hat he was wearing down to cover his eyes, while continuing to walk on Texas Blvd., through traffic, with a whip and a machete.
Neal was walking in lanes of traffic with his eyes covered … causing congestion in the flow of traffic, the affidavit said. “Neal continued waving and swinging the machete as officers continued to demand he stop and drop the machete.”
The pepper spray had no effect on Neal so an officer snuck up beside him and used a non-lethal shotgun, armed with rubber bullets, to hit him in the legs.
“Neal stopped walking for a brief second and turned, dropping his foot back in a fighting stance towards officers and began waving the machete erratically at us,” the affidavit said.
Repeated attempts to stop Neal with patrol unit car doors and other non-lethal means were unsuccessful until a lieutenant managed to catch him off guard and “wrap him up from behind,” the affidavit alleges.
Numerous officers were involved in the struggle to get Neal away from the whip and machete once he was on the ground and one of them was hit in the top of the head with the machete, leaving marks.
Neal was walking in lanes of traffic with his eyes covered … causing congestion in the flow of traffic, the affidavit said. “Neal continued waving and swinging the machete as officers continued to demand he stop and drop the machete.”
The pepper spray had no effect on Neal so an officer snuck up beside him and used a non-lethal shotgun, armed with rubber bullets, to hit him in the legs.
“Neal stopped walking for a brief second and turned dropping his foot back in a fighting stance towards officers and began waving the machete erratically at us,” the affidavit said.
Repeated attempts to stop Neal with patrol unit car doors and other non-lethal means were unsuccessful until lieutenant managed to catch him off guard and “wrap him up from behind,” the affidavit alleges.
Numerous officers were involved in the struggle to get Neal away from the whip and machete once he was on the ground and one of them was hit in the top of the head with the machete, leaving marks.
Neal was taken to a local hospital, where staff allegedly informed investigators that Neal was under the influence of methamphetamine and cocaine, both powerful stimulants sold on the street.
Neal has been charged with felony aggravated assault on a public servant, misdemeanor evading arrest and felony resisting arrest with a deadly weapon. He’s currently being held in the Bowie County jail with bonds totalling $160,000.
He faces five to 99 years or life in a Texas prison if convicted of aggravated assault on a police officer. The case has been assigned to 5th District Judge Bill Miller.
