CBRN event in United States of America on Sun 17th May 2026

WILLS POINT, Texas (KETK) – The Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for aggravated assault near Wills Point on Friday after an hours-long standoff. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were sent out to the 600 block of County Road 3832 for a reported verbal disturbance. When they arrived, a man had reportedly already left the scene. The man was identified as John Cooper, 32 of Wills Point. Deputies learned that Cooper had active arrest warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. At around 4:43 p.m. on Friday, the sheriff’s office said deputies found Cooper at a travel trailer in the 100 block of of Private Road 7039 to the north of Wills Point. Deputies attempted to contact Cooper and they even brought out their negotiator but he wouldn’t come out. Over two hours later, at 6:53 p.m. on Friday, Cooper stopped talking to the sheriff’s office presence built up outside the trailer, so deputies decided to get a search warrant so they could go inside to arrest him. Just before they went in to get him, officials stated that Van Zandt County Sheriff Kevin Bridger approved the use of CS gas or tear gas. Deputies then shot tear gas canisters into the trailer just before they went in and arrested Cooper at around 8:29 p.m. on Friday. Cooper was evaluated outside of the gassed trailer by EMS and then taken to the Van Zandt County Jail for two aggravated assault with a deadly weapon warrants and his unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon warrant. The sheriff’s office thanked Wills Point Police Department for assisting during the standoff by observing the trailer from the air with their drone.