Man jailed over threats to U.S. officer released

TEXARKANA -- A Texarkana man who has been locked up for 18 months was released from custody by a federal judge Wednesday.

Richard Allen Harris was arrested in May 2014 for threatening to murder a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer. During a hearing May 8, 2014, Harris was babbling and appeared incapable of understanding what was happening around him.

Since then, Harris has been evaluated and treated at a Bureau of Prisons medical unit.

"At the initial proceeding, defendant was clearly unable to understand the proceedings or even formulate coherent sentences," U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant wrote in a Nov. 20 order. "At the time of the Nov. 18, 2015, hearing, he responded appropriately to questions from the court, made appropriate statements or comments himself and conducted himself in a manner indicating he was aware of what was going on during the proceeding and understood the process."

Harris entered an innocent plea Nov. 18 with the help of federal Public Defender Bruce Eddy, and a detention hearing was set for Wednesday morning before Bryant in Texarkana's downtown federal building.

After hearing arguments from Eddy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ross Wednesday, as well as testimony from Kenneth Harris, Richard Harris' brother, Bryant decided to release Richard Harris under certain conditions.

Kenneth Harris, who lives less than a mile from Richard Harris in Texarkana, agreed to check on his brother twice daily and monitor his brother's medication. Kenneth Harris agreed to notify officials with federal pretrial services if Richard Harris refuses to take his medication.

Eddy said the U.S. Marshals Service has arranged for Harris to leave jail with enough medication to last him 30 days, hopefully giving him time to arrange continuing, long-term treatment through Veterans Affairs. Richard Harris must abstain from the use of alcohol and report weekly to a federal probation officer while his case is pending.

Bryant warned Richard Harris that he is not allowed to possess a firearm. Ross said his office is taking steps to ensure that Richard Harris will not pass the required background check if he attempts to buy a gun.

Richard Harris first came to the attention of authorities Feb. 22, 2014, when an Ashdown, Ark., police officer reported a disturbance on the Pond Creek National Wildlife Refuge. The officer complained there was a man walking around the campground screaming profanity and talking to himself. A wildlife officer and two Arkansas State Police troopers who made contact with Harris suspected he was intoxicated.

The next day, a Fish and Wildlife officer met with Harris again on the campground. Harris allegedly claimed he had been hunting hogs in the area, which had been closed to hunting since Jan. 31. Harris did not have a required refuge access permit in his possession and allegedly claimed to be an Air Force Special Operations Green Beret.

"Note that Green Beret would be Army, not Air Force," states the May 8, 2014, complaint.

"Harris rambled on for a while, making no sense," the complaint states.

Officers cited Harris for hunting hogs during a closed season and gave him an April 10, 2014, hearing date.

Fish and Wildlife officers met with Harris at his home on Smith Road in Texarkana, Ark., a few days after Harris failed to appear in court.

"They attempted to reason with Harris and give him an opportunity to pay the violation notice," the complaint states.

Harris allegedly told the officers that he wasn't going to pay the ticket because he was not duck hunting, even though Harris is accused of illegally hunting hogs.

Harris allegedly said, "You are going to die," to Fish and Wildlife officer Paul Gideon.

Gideon and Fish and Wildlife officer Bret Bowser learned from Texarkana, Ark., police that Harris has a history of physical confrontations with police and is known to carry a rifle in his car. On May 7, 2014, Gideon and Bowser went to Harris' home again to talk to him about the outstanding federal warrant issued for illegal hog hunting after he failed to appear in court.

"He started talking about other stuff that did not make sense," the complaint states. "He then said he was going to kill me, and he got up from his chair and went into the house."

Richard Harris sat quietly during Wednesday's hearing, speaking briefly at the end.

"I will take my medicine," Richard Harris said. "Thank you for your time."

The case is scheduled for trial Dec. 18 before U.S. District Judge Susan Hickey.

State Desk on 11/27/2015

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