Palestine Man Arrested After Standoff
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
PALESTINE – Palestine Police Department (PPD) arrested a man after an intense standoff with officers, leading to disturbing finds after the suspect’s arrest.
PPD reported:
“On January 1, at approximately 4:40 p.m., PPD officers were dispatched to a residence in the 100 block of St. Andrews Dr. in reference to a disturbance. The caller advised a male subject in the residence was armed with a firearm.
As officers arrived on scene, they were able to hear gunshots being fired inside of the residence. A short time later, a female identified as the suspect’s wife, ran out of the residence and was taken to safety. It was determined at this time, the only person inside of the residence was the suspect, identified as Tin Phan, 26, of Palestine. The PPD Emergency Response Team (ERT) was then dispatched to the scene.
Once the ERT was on scene, Phan emerged from the residence in possession of a firearm and wearing a military uniform. Officers attempted to negotiate with Phan, but he refused, running back into the residence. Detectives then obtained arrest warrants for Phan and a search warrant for the residence. The warrants were issued by 369th State District Judge Michael Davis.
Over the next few hours, PPD negotiators attempted to get Phan to exit the residence. During negotiations, Phan stated he had multiple firearms and a bomb inside of the residence. Phan continued to refuse to comply and began to fire shots from inside of the house. Chemical agents were then introduced into the residence. At around 9:45 p.m., Phan emerged from the residence and was taken into custody.
During a search of the residence, officers located multiple firearms, including rifles positioned near windows in the attic, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Officers also located a suspicious device in the attic with the firearms. The Tyler Fire Department Bomb Squad responded to the location and determined the device was not a threat.
Phan was transported to the Anderson County Jail and booked into the jail without further incident. Phan was initially booked in for Deadly Conduct and Evading Arrest Detention. Additional charges are pending.
During the incident, the Palestine Police Department was assisted by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Palestine Fire Department, the Tyler Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
