A National Guard convoy transporting doses of the COVID-19 vaccine was ambushed Monday morning in west Texas, according to police.
Larry Lee Harris, 66, allegedly started following the three National Guard vans, en route to Matador, Texas, after they stopped at a Love’s gas station in Lubbock, and “attempted multiple times” to run their vehicles off the road, Idalou Police Chief Eric Williams said in a statement.
After those attempts failed, Harris then turned his truck in front of the convoy, forcing it to stop. He got out of his truck and aimed his .45 caliber handgun at one of the guardsmen, who was unarmed.
Claiming to be a detective, he ordered all 11 soldiers to exit the vans so he could search them, Williams’ statement said.
Idalou police received a call and rushed out to the scene, roughly 2 miles east of town along Highway 62/82.
Two officers arrived to find the uniformed National Guard soldiers and Harris, who they arrested “without further incident.”
He had an extra loaded pistol magazine on him and a third in his truck, according to the officers.
After he was taken into custody, Harris — who is from Wilcox, Arizona — told police he thought “the people in the vans had kidnapped a woman and child,” the police chief’s statement said.
No injuries were reported.
“This was a very dangerous situation since the suspect was standing in the midst of the unarmed Guardsman with a loaded weapon then the Idalou Officers arrived on scene,” Williams said. “We are grateful that the officers were able to take him into custody without any of the Guardsmen, the officers or the suspect getting hurt.”
Williams added that Harris seemed to be “mentally disturbed.”
He is facing a long list of charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a weapon, impersonating a public servant, unlawful restraint of 11 National Guard soldiers, and interference with Texas military forces.
Homeland Security has joined in the investigation, authorities said.