On 7-20-14, at about 11:50 PM, an APD officer attempted to stop a blue Mercury that appeared to be speeding and trying to avoid him near 3rd and N. Monroe. When the uniformed officer activated his lights on the unmarked police vehicle, the suspect sped up and opened his car door while driving down the street. The suspect drove into the 400 block of N. Jefferson, jumped out, and ran. The officer pursued the man out into a vacant lot and tackled him. The man told the officer that he “gave up” and seemed to cease physical resistance. The officer had the man positioned face down on the ground and was about to handcuff him. When the officer started to handcuff him, the suspect quickly rolled over and gripped the officer’s holstered firearm. The officer responded by pinning the man down with one hand and pushing his gun back into the holster with the other. After a struggle in which the officer was able to maintain control of his handgun, the suspect again indicated to the officer that he would stop resisting. When the officer took out his walkie-talkie to request assistance, the suspect again grabbed his gun and tried repeatedly to pull it out of the holster. The officer tried to keep the suspect from pulling the gun from the holster with one hand while calling for assistance and striking the suspect in the head with his hand held radio in his other hand. The officer finally had to drop his radio to use both hands to control the man and keep him from taking his weapon. Responding officers located the officer and suspect still struggling on the ground in the vacant field. The backup officers were able to help the original officer gain control of the man’s hands despite the continued resistance. The suspect was Tyson Jamal Jackson BM 24 of Amarillo. He was wanted on a Potter County charge of probation violation for possession of a controlled substance in a drug free zone and six local traffic warrants. Paramedics checked the man and determined that he needed treatment for injuries sustained during his resistance. The officer transported the man to the hospital, where he was treated and released. He was then booked into the Potter County Detention Center for the warrants, along with charges of resisting arrest, evading arrest, and attempting to take a weapon from a police officer. The Potter County Attorney’s Office accepted the charges of evading arrest and resisting arrest. On 8-20-14, the 47th District Attorney’s Office accepted the state jail felony charge of attempting to take a weapon away from a peace officer under cause #69311-Z.
Records indicate that two Amarillo Police officers have been killed by suspects that gained control of their firearm. Other instances have resulted in shots being fired or injury to the officer. In this case, the officer did not require medical attention.
