Who is Larry Lee Harris? Armed Arizona man ambushes 11 National Guardsmen delivering Covid-19 vaccines in Texas
LUBBOCK, TEXAS: A statement from Idalou Police Chief Eric C. Williams detailed how a "mentally disturbed" man held 11 National Guard soldiers at gunpoint Monday morning.
66-year-old Larry Lee Harris of Wilcox, Arizona, followed a convoy of three vans carrying National Guard soldiers who were delivering COVID-19 vaccines to Matador. “Mr. Harris had followed the National Guard Soldiers from Love’s Travel Station on East Regis Street to Highway 62/82 & County Road 3600,” the statement said. “Harris attempted multiple times to run the vans … off the road.”
RELATED ARTICLES
Harris reportedly turned his vehicle towards oncoming traffic and eventually stopped the three National Guard vans. “Harris pointed a gun at a National Guard Soldier, identified himself as a detective, and demanded to search the vehicles,” the statement said, before noting how Harris ordered the guardsmen out of their vehicles at gunpoint.
"They’re unarmed, they comply. They get out of the van. This guy is holding them at gunpoint and starts searching their van," Chief Williams told Lubbock's KCBD. "You know the question was asked whether or not he was after the COVID-19 vaccine. As far as we know, he was thinking that someone had been kidnapped."
Responding police officers found Harris in possession of a loaded Colt 1911. He allegedly had another loaded magazine in his truck, according to KCBD. During interrogation, he told detectives he thought the people in the vans had kidnapped a woman and child. Police said all 11 of the guardsmen were in uniform and none were injured during the incident.
"I am amazed that this did not turn into a very bad situation because he was standing in the midst of these guardsmen, with a loaded handgun," Williams remarked. "Plenty of ammunition to cause a lot of havoc, and for whatever reason, he put the gun in the front of his pants when he saw officers arriving."
Williams said Harris was acting rather erratically but was taken into custody "without incident." “Harris appeared to be mentally disturbed. This was a very dangerous situation since the suspect was standing in the midst of the unarmed Guardsman with a loaded weapon,” Williams noted in the statement.
That said, Harris now faces a laundry list of charges, including aggravated assault, unlawful restrain, unlawful carrying of a weapon, impersonating a public servant, and interference with Texas military forces, a misdemeanor.
Speaking of the misdemeanor, Williams told KCBD that “maybe it’s used in other places in Texas where military bases are, I don’t know. But I would dare to say this is the first time it’s been used in Lubbock county."
However, the police chief said he was grateful that everyone involved in the incident was safe and that the vaccines had reached their destination intact. The incident is currently being probed by the Idalou Police Department. Harris could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on said charges.