KTBB News, Weather, Talk

TYLER — More than 20 different law enforcement agencies from across the state of Texas are taking part in this two-day training at the Tyler Police Department’s gun range. This comes three weeks after 19 children and two teachers were killed in the Uvalde school shooting. According to our news partner KETK, local first responders are training with ALERRT, also known as the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training program. “Training like this really gets you out of that standard training. It gets you out in the field, and puts you in situations that really get your heart pumping and puts you in that moment and in that situation,” said Tyler Police Public Information Officer, Andy Erbaugh. Continue reading Tyler police host active shooter training for law enforcement agencies

TYLER — A Smith County resident is suing to remove Precinct 1 Constable Curtis Traylor-Harris from office after he was charged with a crime. According to our news partner KETK, the lawsuit argues that Traylor-Harris chose to violate his oath of office on multiple occasions. It asks that the Court temporarily suspend Traylor-Harris without pay, pending final judgement and asks for a jury trial in this case. The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement has already suspended Traylor-Harris’s peace officers license. Without a license, the lawsuit states that Traylor-Harris would “not be able to hold office or execute his official duties as Constable,” making him unable to “meet the necessary qualification to remain a constable.” Continue reading Smith County resident files lawsuit to remove jailed constable from office

TYLER — Nearly three-and-a-half years after police were called to the scene of a shooting near Whitehouse, a Tyler man is on trial for the alleged murder of his father. According to our news partner KETK, 39-year-old Tony Chase was arrested on the night of January 7, 2019, after Smith County deputies responded to reports of a shooting near Whitehouse. A release from Sheriff Larry Smith reported at the time that Chase allegedly confessed to shooting his father, 51-year-old Edward Rolando Blaylock. The case has been delayed for years due to various reasons, including overcrowding at the jail and the COVID-19 pandemic. The trial is currently underway.

SMITH COUNTY — After responding to a stolen vehicle call early Monday morning, Smith County deputies arrested Warren Williams, 17, of Wake Village, La., after a foot chase, according to our news partner KETK. Officials said that Williams was also involved in a pursuit with Lindale PD several minutes earlier in relation to a separate stolen vehicle. Deputies were informed that a black 2011 Lincoln MKX had been stolen from a residence near Lindale and began to search the area. Soon after, a Smith County deputy observed a vehicle matching the description of the stolen SUV and as he approached, the officer found that the suspect was still in the car. Continue reading Teen arrested after pursuit through Smith County

TYLER – A heads-up for East Texas drivers out and about this week. TxDOT and contractor crews will be doing bridge inspections on five bridges on I-20 in Gregg, Smith, and Van Zandt Counties Tuesday and Wednesday. TxDOT’s Jeff Williford says the inspections will range from 45 minutes to an hour and will cause short traffic delays. Motorists are urged to use caution. Continue reading TxDOT plans I-20 bridge inspections

LINDALE — The Lindale Police Department is warning the public of “an armed and dangerous man” on the run, but they now believe the suspect has left the area. According to our news partner KETK, early Monday morning, the department said residents in the area of CR 433 and CR 471 south of I-20 should be on the lookout for a black male in blue jeans and a black hoodie. The man could also be wearing a black bandana. People living in the area were warned to lock their cars and remove any valuables from the inside. Police believed he was looking to steal a car for a quick getaway. The man, whose name was not immediately released, is “believed to be a part of a group that was pursued by multiple agencies in a stolen vehicle late [Sunday] night,” according to Lindale PD. We’ll update this story as new information comes in.

JACKSONVILLE — Three firefighters were injured in a Sunday fire at a historic building on El Paso Street in Jacksonville. According to our news partner KETK, officials confirmed that two of the firefighters had minor injuries. The third was still in the hospital and details on their condition were not immediately available. The fire broke out Sunday at Hotel RITUAL, where the majority of the interior was destroyed. Formerly a home, the facility has been serving as a wellness center and apothecary. The investigation of the fire continues.

LONGVIEW — Both the Longview Swim Center and Longview’s Ingram Pool are adjusting their hours due to the lack of lifeguards available. That’s according to our news partner KETK. There will be partial and complete closures in coming days. The city still has opportunities available for those who are interested in becoming lifeguards. The job information is available here. The adjusted hours of operation for Longview pools can be found at this link.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) – Prosecutors say a retired truck driver from Texas has been charged with killing a woman whose body was found along a freeway onramp in a Southern California desert nearly 30 years ago. The DA’s office in Riverside County, California says cold-case investigators used advances in DNA technology to link Douglas Thomas to the 1993 killing of Sherri Herrera. Thomas is held in Titus County, Texas, awaiting trial for a separate slaying in that state in 1992. It wasn’t immediately known if Thomas has an attorney. Officials say the 67-year-old traveled extensively throughout the U.S. during a 40-year career as a trucker.

TYLER — A trial date of July 18 was set Friday for a 91-year-old man who was arrested on a charge of arson in 2020. According to our news partner KETK, Kermit Francis Gabel of Tyler remains in the Smith County Jail after nearly two years for the charge of arson with intent to damage a habitation or place of worship, as well as a parole violation. Gabel’s bond for the arson charge is set at $250,000. He is accused of setting fire to an abandoned home on South Beckham Avenue on Nov. 6, 2020. Gabel is unusually familiar to law enforcement authorities. His criminal record stretches back to the 1940s.

LONGVIEW — After the mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and in Uvalde, some East Texans got together to address concerns. According to our news partner KETK, on Saturday morning, they gathered at Longview’s Heritage Plaza in hopes of pressuring lawmakers into making some change. Organizers said the goal isn’t to have our second amendment rights taken away, but rather allowing them to exercise their first amendment rights. “Have our legislators understand and know, and hear our voice, that we’ve had enough and something needs to be done,” said Adam Farmer, one of the event organizers. People of all ages joined the effort, including at least one as young as seven. Continue reading “March for Our Lives” in Longview

MARSHALL — With the help of citizens, a suspect in a Morris County vehicle theft was caught by a Harrison County Sheriff’s deputy Friday after the man led a chase and resisted arrest, according to authorities. According to our news partner KETK, Michael Shane Blackburn, 34, of Jefferson, was arrested and booked into the Harrison County Jail Friday on four charges: unauthorized use of a motor vehicle (out of Morris County), evading arrest with a previous conviction, resisting arrest – deadly weapon, and attempting to take a weapon from an officer. His total bond has been set at $74,000. According to a Facebook post from the HCSO, a deputy received a tip that Blackburn was possibly seen at the Dollar General in Harleton. At the time, he was wanted for a felony warrant for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Continue reading Authorities: Fugitive caught by deputy, citizens