‘Protect and Serve’

By Barbara Davis | Staff Writer

As law enforcement agencies across Texas and the entire U.S. face officer shortages, local leaders say they are doing their part to prepare officers to protect and serve citizens in the safest manner possible. 

Still, as reports abound of unrest, law enforcement personnel are frequently targeted as victims of violent crime just because of their chosen service profession. 

Evidence of officer assault locally can be seen from Jefferson County grand jury felony indictments handed down to 17 individuals March 29 and April 5, of which five individuals are facing charges accusing them of assault against a public servant, among a variety of other alleged crimes.

Due to the climate of the community, Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens, Beaumont Police Department Chief of Police Jimmy Singletary, and Port Arthur Police Department Chief of Police Timothy Duriso have all implemented changes in both training and department culture within their respective agencies to ensure that their officers are properly equipped to face the possibility of being assaulted. 

“We know it is going to happen from time to time, and that is part of the job, but I am doing my best to make sure my deputies are prepared to protect both themselves and the citizens,” said Stephens.

Protect and be punched

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement agencies reported that 56,034 officers were assaulted while performing their duties in 2019, the most recent data available, a rate of 11.8 per 100 sworn officers. Of those officers who were assaulted, 30.7% sustained injuries. 

Based on the most recent statistics, 30.4% of officer assaults were when responding to disturbances such as family quarrels and fights, while 17.1% of assaults were attempting other arrests, and 12.8% were when handling, or transporting prisoners.

Julius Jackson Jr., 44, of Beaumont, was indicted on a charge of assault of a peace officer, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and obstruction or retaliation, stemming from an incident that occurred on Feb. 4, when he was caught breaking into a vehicle at 2860 Texas Ave. before getting into a physical altercation with the complainant, allegedly hitting the victim in the head and stabbing him with a screwdriver as he attempted to protect his property. 

According to a probable cause affidavit provided by Beaumont Police Department (BPD), when officers attempted to take Jackson into custody, he intentionally prevented and obstructed officers from effecting their arrest, pushing officers several times who were trying to secure him in the patrol unit, causing bodily injury to a police officer by using force against them. Further, while being transported, Jackson allegedly stated he was going to locate an officer and assault them upon his release. 

Anisha McNabb, 28, an inmate at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility, was indicted on a charge of assault of a public servant, a third-degree felony, stemming from an incident when she allegedly assaulted two correction officers, spitting on one and striking another in the face following processing. 

“We’ve filed a few cases on folks that have spit at officers or things of that nature, and we are consistent with the consequences of their behavior in our correctional facility,” said Stephens. “I don’t think you saw that a lot in the past with charges being filed as inmates were hitting or abusing correctional officers, but it sends a message to our inmates and to the correctional staff that we aren’t going to tolerate them being mistreated.”

Noah Moore, 26, of Beaumont, was indicted on three felony charges of assault on a public servant after BPD responded to a call at St. Elizabeth Hospital emergency room (ER), where Moore was reportedly assaulting ER personnel. 

According to the probable cause affidavit for Moore’s arrest, officers stated the patient was “irate, agitated, confrontational, and violent,” and assaulted two nurses while they were providing medical treatment to him, as well as a security guard, charging and crashing into them with the full weight and force of his body, striking them with hands and fists. 

Assaults on public servants are not limited to law enforcement but also include medical staff. Medical professionals in Southeast Texas addressed Port Arthur City Council last January in an effort to bring awareness and gain support in stopping workplace violence. 

According to Keri Reeves, president of the Golden Triangle Emergency Nurses Association (GTENA), data from 2022 revealed that nurses continue to be assaulted “at a rate of 1,739 per month, 57 every day and one every two hours.” In June 2013, any assault on an emergency room personnel was changed from a misdemeanor to a third-degree felony.

Brandi Nemeth, 35, a transient, was indicted on a second-degree felony charge of assaulting a peace officer and a state jail felony of attempting to take a weapon from an officer stemming from a trespassing incident on Sept. 21. According to the probable cause affidavit for her arrest, BPD responded to a trespassing call at the Shop N Save, 2675 S. 4th St., where officers made contact with Nemeth, and confirmed she had a valid criminal trespass warning. 

“While placing Brandi into the patrol car, she kicked my partner and began resisting transport,” said BPD Officer H. Hayes. “While placing Nemeth inside, she wrapped her legs around the bumper of my patrol car, and then wrapped her legs around my partner’s legs. Brandi forcefully grabbed and forcefully squeezed my partner’s genitals for a prolonged time.” 

Hayes stated that his partner, Officer John Cross, attempted to deploy his conductive energy weapon (CEW) and the suspect grabbed the CEW and attempted to take it from Cross’ possession. Nemeth was held on the ground until backup officers arrived on the scene to assist with her transport.

Michelle Simon, 54, of Opelousas, Louisiana, was indicted on three first-degree felony charges of aggravated assault against a public servant, as well as evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, after leading officers on a high-speed chase into downtown Houston, for more than 80 miles on Feb. 2. 

According to the probable cause affidavit for Simon’s arrest, BPD officers responded to reports of reckless driving traveling into oncoming traffic on IH-10 and Gulf Street. Upon arrival, Officer Katherine Garris observed Sgt. Christopher Pratt had stopped Simon’s vehicle, and the complainant advised that Simon was “manic.” 

Due to her altered mental state and reported reckless driving, numerous attempts were made to have her exit the vehicle in order to move off of the busy interstate with heavy traffic. 

Officers stated that Simon refused to exit the vehicle and a physical attempt was made to remove her from the driver’s seat. Subsequently, while officers were on both the driver’s and passenger’s sides, Simon placed her foot on the accelerator, causing officers to move forward with the momentum of the vehicle. 

Simon led officers more than 80 miles away into downtown Houston at a high rate of speed, eventually stopping just short of DPS spike strips. 

Fighting back

According to BPD Chief Singletary, the increase in mental health problems, combined with the ever-growing rate of drug usage, has prompted a rise in the assault on peace officers. Port Arthur Police Chief Duriso agrees.

 “Of course, officers go through de-escalation and mental health training, but being able to properly assess the situation is crucial.” 

Law enforcement administrators have created new policies to address the growing problems noted in the community, in efforts to better serve residents, protect the population and protect the peacekeepers. 

“Quite frankly, I try to hire people who have the skill set to communicate with the individuals we are dealing with properly,” Stephens said, adding that training is continuous in terms of how officers deal with the public, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office runs a training program teaching deputies proper de-escalation tactics.

“We deal with folks who sometimes just don’t want to be taken into custody, and knowing the difference between when someone is trying to hurt you and when someone is simply not complying, is crucial,” Stephens further explained. “We have to spend a lot of time determining the difference.

Like Stephens, BPD Chief Singletary is working to use as little force as necessary and de-escalate situations whenever possible for the safety of both officers and the public. 

“I taught defense tactics for 37 years prior to this job, but my research led me to jujitsu,” Singletary said. As of last year, according to Singletary, all Beaumont PD officers have been required to complete short jujitsu training. “Jujitsu is a martial art that does not require strikes, punches, or kicks to restrain.

“Officers have already been using the techniques and it has proven to be an asset to our program. We have 10-15 officers that have continued the training on their own, which is a benefit to our defensive tactics program.”

“We handle family disturbances and settle arguments, and we have to be able to listen and communicate effectively,” said Stephens. 

Oftentimes, officers respond to domestic disturbances, where emotions are at an all-time high. Although de-escalation is the first attempt, officers are challenged with the task of defending themselves and protecting the citizens simultaneously. 

The recently indicted are just a few of the many cases of assault against public servants, literally adding injury to insult in an often already thankless job. 

Stephens says that she is constantly concerned for the safety of her officers, but the safety of the community is just as important, and for all parties concerned she continues to provide her deputies with the training and tools to handle confrontation in a compassionate and appropriate manner.