Bond Set At $1.5M For Man Denton Police Say Shot At Officers Before They Shot Him
DENTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A Denton man who was shot by police on Wednesday, May 26 after police said he fired at officers, is in the Denton County Jail charged with three counts of aggravated assault on a public servant.
Samuel Collins, 39, is being held on $1.5 million bond.
Additional domestic violence charges are pending.
Last Wednesday, around 12:30 a.m someone called police saying they heard screaming and loud noises coming from an apartment.
Officers responded to the area and attempted to make contact at the apartment. Officers knocked on the residence door several times but received no answer. No disturbance could be heard coming from inside the apartment, and officers cleared the scene.
Then, at around 2:15 a.m. officers returned to the Pace's Crossing apartment complex in the 2400 block of Interstate-35 near Loop 288.
The same 911 caller reported hearing screaming (again), as well as loud pops.
The caller specified they believed the loud noises heard could be gunshots.
Officers arrived on scene within minutes and were able to make verbal contact with Collins through the closed apartment door.
Officers identified themselves as police and told him to leave the apartment so they could check on everyone inside.
But he refused verbally, and officers then heard what sounded like gunfire coming from the apartment.
Additional officers were dispatched, and a perimeter was established around the apartment.
Without provocation, according to police, Collins opened the front door of the apartment and appeared holding a handgun.
Officers ordered him to drop the weapon, and the man responded verbally with profanity, acknowledging the officers' presence.
The suspect then retreated inside of the apartment.
A short time later the he appeared again in the doorway with a woman before again retreating inside of the apartment.
Later, Collins, holding the same woman, came out and this time pointed his weapon at police and fired.
Officials said two officers returned fire and hit the suspect twice.
Collins was shot in the torso but his injuries aren't believed to be life threatening.
The woman wasn't injured and no officers were hurt.
The two officers who opened fire have been with the department two and three years respectively. They were placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated.
Officials said there is body cam footage of the shooting.
The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation.