Inmate Overpowers & Fatally Shoots Texas Deputy Sherri Jones During Transportation from Courtroom to Van

Texas Deputy Sherri Jones shot & killed after being overpowered by inmate as she transported him from Bowie county courtroom to van bound for state facility.

Sad news for the U.S. law enforcement community. Bowie, TX, Deputy Sherri Jones was shot and killed in the basement of the county courthouse while preparing to transport prison inmate Tucker Strickland this afternoon. According to Officer Down Memorial Page, Ms. Jones was moving the Strickland from a courtroom to a transport van to transport him to a state facility when he attacked her.

Eerily reminiscent to the March 11, 2005, shooting rampage Brian Nichols embarked on in a Fulton County court in Atlanta, the Bowie inmate overpowered the deputy, took her gun, and fatally shot her. The inmate then stole the transport van and fled to Arkansas where he was caught in the town of Ashdown and taken into police custody, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Deputy Jones' family. She served with the Bowie County Sheriff's Department for six years on a part-time basis.