Man arrested after assaulting Texarkana police officer

TEXARKANA– Our news partner, KETK, reports that a 45-year-old man has been arrested after attacking a police officer on Friday night. Officers from the Texarkana Police Department were dispatched to a house in the 1600 block of West 11th Street after receiving a call about a man allegedly pulling a gun on another person. When officers arrived, they found a man who matched the suspects’ description, later identified as Jeffrey Troxel, standing outside.

“When asked about the disturbance, the man claimed he didn’t know anything about it,” officers said. Troxel then refused a pat down, and instead put his hand in his jacket to “pull something out.” The officer grabbed the suspect’s arm to prevent him from pulling out a potential firearm. Texarkana Police Department said Troxel went on to punch the officer in the face and lunged at him.

“A struggle ensued as Troxel struck [a police officer] repeatedly in the face and even attempted to grab his gun from its holster several times,” Texarkana PD said. “Despite the ongoing attack, [the police officer] eventually managed to gain control of Troxel, and held him down until [another officer] got there to help secure and handcuff him.” Authorities said that Troxel likely took a significant amount of methamphetamine prior to the incident, and was treated at a hospital before being taken to the Bi-State jail. He was arrested for assault on a peace officer and had an active warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $260,000.

The officer involved in the incident sustained multiple bruises to his face and ears, along with scrapes on his knees and elbows. The injuries the officer suffered were not serious, officials said, and he was able to return to duty that same night.