Robbery attempt goes sideways
Posted/updated on: July 13, 2026 at 3:56 pm
SMITH COUNTY – A man has been taken to the Smith County Jail after allegedly admitting to using meth before colliding with several vehicles and attempting to rob a gas station.
According to our news partner KETK and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an incident in Tyler on Thursday, where a white Ford truck allegedly rammed another vehicle multiple times before fleeing the area. Law enforcement was then told the suspect had gone to a Texaco gas station on Highway 69.
When law enforcement arrived at the initial scene, they spotted a black SUV on the side of the road with visible damage. The owner of the SUV directed them to where the suspect had left.
Upon arriving at the gas station, deputies learned that the suspect had struck yet another vehicle. Records indicate that law enforcement encountered the suspect, a black man named Jackie Gitchuway, who was nude and attempting to grab a person near the entrance of the gas station. Gitchuway reportedly tried to flee the scene but was apprehended shortly thereafter.
The gas station owner said that Gitchuway appeared to be attempting to steal from the store and made a gesture as if he had a gun.
“The gas station owner said he felt scared because he made a motion of having a gun and pointed it at him and felt he was going to die,” the arrest report revealed. “Due to the fear as he was trying to understand [Gitchuway] to give him what he wanted, [Gitchuway] then exited the store.”
A preliminary investigation found that the owner of the black SUV was traveling with his family on CR 496 when a white Ford pickup truck break checked them several times. The driver of the SUV pulled over. Gitchuway then allegedly “pulled behind them and rammed them from behind several times.”
The suspect then hit the SUV on the driver’s side several times before fleeing to the gas station.
When evaluated by first responders, Gitchuway allegedly claimed that he had consumed meth before the incident. He said he walked into the store with his hand wrapped as if he had a gun to steal a fountain drink and cigarettes.
Gitchuway remains in the Smith County Jail on 7 charges,including, four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Driving while intoxicated, robbery and parole violation.
