Domestic Violence Cases Dominate Reported Emergency Calls

By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2013

Domestic Violence cases regularly continue to dominate the number of emergency telephone calls made to and responded to by both the Eagle Pass Police Department and the Maverick County Sheriff Department on a monthly basis.

Within the last six months of 2015, there have been over 300 incident calls and/or arrests for family violence cases within our community, averaging almost one a day.

The dangers that arise from family/domestic violence cases are highly sensitive issues that could turn dangerous and deadly in a second’s time for those persons involved in the incident and/or the law enforcement officials responding to those incident calls, often turning deadly.

Maverick County Deputy Sheriff David Arron Jones lost his life while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on a domestic violence defendant during a dispute on August 11, 1960, exactly 55 years to the date.

During that dreadful day on August 11, 1960, Deputy Sheriff David Arron Jones was shot and killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant that stemmed from a domestic violence dispute by an individual involved in a family violence case.

As Deputy Jones and his partner approached the home where they were to serve the arrest warrant, they were greeted with gunfire by the suspect they were attempting to serve the warrant of arrest. Deputy Jones was struck in the chest and killed. His partner was able to retreat to the patrol car and escape the gunfire from the warrant of arrest suspect.

The surviving deputy managed to call for law enforcement backup and after a 90-minute standoff, Deputy Jones’ body was recovered from the porch of the suspect’s home. The suspect surrendered four hours later as Maverick County Sheriff Deputies and Texas Rangers prepared to storm the house, but successfully persuaded the suspect to give himself up and avoid further bloodshed.

Deputy Aaron Jones was a Korean War veteran and was survived by his parents at the time of his death.

Deputy Jones is buried at the Maverick County Cemetery in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Maverick County Sheriff Deputy David Arron Jones died in the line of duty while attempting to serve a warrant of arrest of a domestic violence suspect, maintaining the peace and serving his community. He also valiantly served his country during the contentious Korean War.

Jones life is a testament of the bravery of our law enforcement officers and the possible dangers which may arise at any moment during domestic/family violence cases in our community.

Both Maverick County Sheriff Deputies and Eagle Pass Police officers are well aware of the dangers facing any domestic/family violence cases and train and prepare to handle these type of difficult and dangerous situations in a safe and prudent manner.

“From just having to play peace keeper and diffusing an explosive situation by assisting one of the parties involved to settle down and let cooler heads prevail, to having to get in between those involved and stopping an escalation of violence that will put them and us in harm’s way is often what we encounter when responding to domestic/family violence calls. It gets unnerving because you don’t know how they will respond to authority stepping in to keep the peace and end a potentially dangerous situation. Domestic disturbance calls are often the most dangerous calls that you will respond to. I have responded to calls where the parties involved are relieved to see you there because often times they just wish to end the escalating situation. But I have also responded to some calls where the issue has grown out of control and the persons involved are incoherent of any reasoning which leaves you in a precarious situation that if not handled properly can lead to serious problems. We do receive training as to how to handle domestic disturbance situations but they are the most difficult calls you often take as a peace officer,” said a local law enforcement peace officer.

Law enforcement officers risk their lives every time they put on their uniforms and go to work. In the United States during the first six months of 2015, there have been approximately 40 peace officers who have passed away while serving and protecting their communities.

If you are involved in an incident of any kind that requires law enforcement or police intervention, please be considerate of the people in blue who are there not to harm you but to assist you in keeping the peace and attempting to diffuse a potential dangerous situation.

If you need immediate law enforcement assistance, please call 911 or the Eagle Pass Police Department at (830) 773-9044 or the Maverick County Sheriff’s Department at (830) 773-2321.