by Becky Bell
POSTED: 2:08 pm CDT September 20, 2011
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UPDATED: 4:39 pm CDT September 20, 2011
Harrison County, Texas -- A Harrison County man is dead after fighting with his wife, attempting to take his own life, barricading himself into a motor home and then ultimately being shot by the Harrison County deputies for threatening deputies with a gun.
Richard Owen Dean, 44, was shot after an almost a six-hour standoff with deputies, according to the Harrison County Sheriff's Office.
"This man is no stranger to law enforcement," said Jay Webb, Harrison County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer, who added the case was both "bizarre" and "volatile."
Dean's long criminal history includes multiple charges for domestic violence. He has been to jail in Harrison County five times, has a record in Gregg County for domestic violence and is on parole from the Texas Department of Justice, Webb said.
Dean has also barricaded himself away from officers before in White Oak, Texas, he added.
The dramatic series of events began at midnight on Tuesday, September 20, when Harrison County 911 operators received a call from a residence in the Lansing Switch, an upscale-gated area of western Harrison County, regarding a family disturbance.
Webb said Dean and his wife, who had been married for two months, were having a physical fight. Dean had been reportedly been drinking heavily the day before the dispute. However, neither of the Dean's filed charges and officers left the residence.
Dean's wife left the home. Her name is not being released at this time because the incident is still under investigation.
Officers received another call from the residence at 2 a.m.
When deputies arrived at the location, Dean met them, at a gate on the driveway. Dean had a pistol in his hand as he spoke with deputies through the closed gate regarding the incident that occurred earlier in the evening involving a family violence assault at residence.
Deputies ordered Dean to put the weapon down, but he did not.
Instead, he pointed the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The weapon did not discharge.
When deputies again ordered him to drop the weapon, he ran to a pickup truck that was on the driveway and drove through the pasture to a barn located on the property.
Deputies secured the area of the property and attempted to locate the Dean around the barn area where he left the truck. Deputies then called for further assistance and the deputies attempted to make contact with the suspect.
Dean did not respond and the deputies made repeated attempts to make contact with the suspect. At approximately 6 a.m., it was confirmed that the suspect had barricaded himself in a large motor home parked next to the barn.
Dean made no attempt to speak with deputies, but stood in the front windshield of the vehicle and continually pointed the gun at his head and made threatening gestures with the weapon toward the deputies.
Harrison County Sheriff officials said Dean closed the curtains on the motor home and refused to answer repeated voice commands by deputies to come out of the motor home.
Just before 8 a.m., the suspect opened the curtains on the side of the motor home and stood in the window with the gun to his head. He was then ordered by deputies to drop the weapon and he refused to comply with the order.
He then lowered the gun and pointed the weapon directly at deputies who were attempting to speak to him. Deputies shot the suspect and he fell to the floor of the RV.
When deputies entered the motor home, Dean was on the floor with a loaded gun beside him.
The Texas Rangers are investigating the incident. No deputies were injured in the event.
"The Texas Rangers always investigate police related shootings," Dean said. "You don't want your department to investigate your own shooting."
Although domestic violence cases do happen in all types of neighborhoods, Webb noted that the neighborhood the Dean's were living in was "beyond their means," and that the stress of that might have helped escalate the incident. However, other factors were more front and center of this case, he said.
"This was marital and alcohol related," Webb said. "And there is always the escalation of domestic violence when someone else is involved such as a police officer. Both parties are really emotional and that is never good."
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