Shelby County Today

October 28, 2024 - The Center Police Department (CPD) communications center received a 911 call on October 22, 2024, at approximately 2:30pm regarding a shooting on Rex St. with one individual injured. 

Officers responded to the scene and on their arrival, it was learned that the shooter was still on scene. 

Darrell Barnes

Officers were able to detain Darrell Barnes, who was identified as the shooter without incident. It was then learned that Lajagger Barnes was the victim and had been transported to the Emergency Department by a personal vehicle with a gunshot wound to the chest. 

Lajagger Barnes was pronounced deceased a short time after arriving at the Center E.R. by the E.R. physician on duty. 

CPD Detectives responded to the scene and began processing the scene and collecting evidence. 

Darrell was arrested and charged with Manslaughter, Felony 2, transported to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, and booked into the jail without incident. 

Lajagger was transported to the Southwest Institute of Forensic Science for an autopsy. 

Officers and Detectives cleared the scene at around 5:30pm. At 6:15pm, the CPD Communications received another 911 call to the shooting location regarding a disturbance with weapons. 

On arrival, it was learned that a vehicle with four males arrived on the scene displaying weapons in possible retaliation for the earlier incident, but those persons had left the location before law enforcement arrived. 

CPD Officers obtained a vehicle description and located it moments after it departed the scene. CPD Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle and it failed to stop for officers. 

CPD Officers pursued the suspect vehicle for a short time before it pulled into the yard of a residence on Matlock St. One individual exited the vehicle and fled on foot from officers.

 
Jason Calloway, Jr.

Three individuals were detained on the scene. They were identified as JaCarlos Pruitt, 21, of Nacogdoches, and Jason Calloway, Jr., 21, of Timpson. All three were detained and transported to the CPD for questioning. The fourth person in the vehicle was a juvenile. 

During interviews, the identity of the suspect who fled on foot was revealed to be Chayse Duckett, 18, of Nacogdoches. 

Jacoban Pruitt

Officers then obtained an arrest warrant for Duckett. Pruitt, and Calloway, were taken into custody and transported to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office and booked into jail without incident. 

Duckett was arrested on October 24, 2024, in Nacogdoches, transported to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, and booked into jail on the warrant for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, without incident. 

Chayse Duckett

This case is an ongoing investigation, and no further information is available at this time. 

The Center Police Department would like to thank the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens, Shelby County District Attorney, Allegiance EMS, Shelby County Constable Pct. 5, Nacogdoches Police Department, and Shelby County Pct. 1 Judge Donna Hughes; for all their assistance in both incidents that occurred. 

Related Article:
Center PD Investigates Shooting on Rex Street; One Suspect in Custody

October 22, 2024 - Center Fire Department responded to a structure fire at R&J Recycling and Disposal Transfer Station Monday, October 21, 2024, at around 5pm on FM 2468 after receiving a call from the facility and a passerby.

According to the Center Fire Department, when firefighters arrived at the location the fire was fully involved with heavy smoke emanating from within the transfer station building. 

Fire appeared to be raging inside and it was confirmed there was a front-end loader that was still in the building. One individual received some minor burns to their hands trying to move the piece of machinery out. The firefighters applied water to the loader to cool it down so it could eventually be driven out of the structure.

There was a truck tractor on the right side of the building that was threatened by fire; however, the fire department confirmed the truck was eventually able to be disconnected from the trailer and it was driven out of the building.

The structure was saved and will likely need some repair.

Fire Department personnel returned to the station around 7:30pm.

October 22, 2024 - Emergency crews were dispatched to the intersection of U.S. Highway 84 and Cummings Street in Joaquin on Thursday, October 17, 2024, when a vehicle left the roadway and struck a utility guidewire (guy-wire).

The incident caused a temporary power outage and Deep East Electric Cooperative was called to the scene as law enforcement and fire personnel assessed the crash.

According to Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Jordan Ford, at 6:40pm a white 2021 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Kara Wells, 28, of Longview was westbound on U.S. Highway 84 when, due to a medical medical condition, the Jetta traveled onto the wrong side of the roadway. The Jetta passed across the eastbound lane and traveled a short distance before striking a utility pole guidewire.

Wells was transported from the scene by ambulance to Shelby Emergency Department for medical evaluation.

No citations were reported at the time of the crash.

Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department personnel held the scene and helped divert traffic until the vehicle was cleared. Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative personnel appeared to have restored power by the time the scene was cleared.

October 16, 2024 - Fire personnel and law enforcement quickly went en-route around 2pm to a house fire Wednesday, October 16, 2024, in the 6000 block of State Highway 87 North where an individual was reported to be trapped in the back of the home.

One of the first on scene was Texas Department of Public Safety State Trooper Taylor Buster, who responded in light of the individual trapped inside. To gain access to the house, Trooper Buster kicked the door in and went inside. A neighbor, Cole Milford, assisted in getting the resident out of the home.

Emergency Medical Services were on scene and assessed the individual who was rescued from the house. He was transported by ambulance to Shelby Emergency Department for medical evaluation and possible smoke inhalation.

The fire had progressed quickly at the residence of Rickey and Dorothy Cartwright before fire personnel could arrive, and firefighters with the Timpson Volunteer Fire Department and Center Fire Department worked to extinguish the blaze.

Fire appeared to be most prevalent on the left side of the household and to an exterior structure at that end of the building; however, it appeared damage was extensive throughout the structure.