What’s Next for the “Sheriff’s Office Shooter”
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – In the aftermath of the Saturday, March 15 shooting incident at the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, HCSO officials moved quickly to take steps to not only protect themselves from the suspect, Clifford Robert Heniser, but from other potential incidents or copycats. Although miraculously no one was injured when Heniser fired 30 rifle rounds in the sheriff’s office parking lot – including Heniser himself – there is worry he may still present a danger. Heniser promised Houston County Sheriff Zak Benge he would “see you again” and although still held on a $110,000 bond, there is a possibility he could bond out of jail and return to finish whatever plans he had in mind.
Benge moved quickly to change policies at the sheriff’s office while moves are made to beef up security long term. The only HCSO personnel onsite at the time were members of the dispatch office, who do not perform traditional law enforcement duties.
Benge released a statement following the event regarding how he planned to insulate his employees from any similar incidents.
“For the foreseeable future our office lobby door will be closed at 5 p.m. and reopened at 8 a.m. the following morning to include Friday at 5 p.m. till Monday at 8 a.m.,” Benge said. “We will be addressing some security issues that have come to light in the recent shooting at our office. If you need assistance at our office during this time after hours there is a call button at the front door to speak with a dispatcher. You can also call (936) 544-2862 and request assistance. Thank you for your understanding as we address these security issues.”
In subsequent interviews with The Messenger, Benge did not mince words about the danger Heniser could still pose to HSCO staff and others.
“The man is dangerous and I’m going to put it out there and be very blunt about it. He has shown an extreme propensity for violence and if he comes back to our office, he’s going to be met with extreme force,” Benge said. “And if he comes back to our office with a firearm, we’re going to kill him. We’re going to protect our people and protect the public at all costs.”
While Benge and his deputies are frequently tasked with handling dangerous situations, the dispatchers handling the phones and 911 calls are not, and Benge has offered counseling to any of the team who were traumatized by the dramatic event.
HSCO is working with federal officials to see if other charges may be filed to keep Heniser in jail and out of trouble, fearing a quick release might trigger another incident, this time leading to potentially deadly consequences.
Benge acknowledged some of the Monday-morning quarterbacking on social media, where commenters asked why HSCO had not been actively monitoring Heniser’s posts.
“There are so many people on social media who say things they wouldn’t normally say face-to-face, so you have to always take that stuff with a grain of salt,” Benge said.
Regarding Heniser’s possible mental health issues, Benge said this phrase gets thrown around a lot.
“This is an individual that has his own company, he’s able to buy gas, pay bills and do the things everybody else does on a daily basis,” Benge said. “He well may have mental issues, but I’m not going to blame everything he does and use that excuse, absolutely not. He’s definitely responsible for his actions. We’re going to hold him responsible for what he’s done.”
Benge reiterated his commitment to protect his staff and the citizens of Houston County in clearly and candidly.
“I do want to make sure the public understands, or if he reads your paper – if he comes back to that jail, he will be met with extreme force, and if he comes back with a gun, we are going to kill him.”
All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
