A man who was tackled by a Texas district judge when he tried to flee a Texarkana courtroom last month was indicted Thursday by a Bowie County grand jury.
Fletcher, who will assume the bench that serves Wood County on Jan. 1, was visiting Lockhart's court to observe. The newly elected judge played football while attending Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and his field time includes Cotton Bowl and Peach Bowl games.
Moore's exit thwarted, he got to his feet and darted through the courtroom seats as Bowie County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Meyer and bailiff Twister Ballard attempted to take him into custody. Ballard, who was dressed in a tie, button-down shirt and slacks, was wearing his badge and a holstered firearm.
"I told him, 'This is only going to end one way,'" Ballard said after the fray in April.
Eventually the two lawmen were able to muscle Moore into a pair of handcuffs and escort him to the fourth-floor jail.
Moore was indicted Thursday for assault on a peace officer and for possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, under one gram, the offense for which he was in court April 6. Moore's resistance in the courtroom last month is not the first time he's presented a challenge to arresting officers, according to a probable cause affidavit used to create the following account.
Moore was allegedly combative when he was arrested during a traffic stop at about 2 a.m. Feb. 6 on Farm to Market Road 989 in Bowie County. Moore was stopped by Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Michael Ferguson as he traveled southbound in a white Ford F-150 pickup.
"As I approached the vehicle, I heard a sound as if glass was breaking," the affidavit states. "I then observed a broken glass pipe in the grass near the right front of the vehicle with several other small shards closer to the right front."
Moore allegedly jumped out of the truck without being told by Ferguson to do so, seconds before the sound of shattering glass filled the air. Ferguson noticed an open and "partially consumed" bottle of Bacardi rum in the pickup's front passenger seat.
"After receiving backup, I began searching the Ford and continued to observe Moore's erratic behavior," the affidavit states. "The other officers on scene also observed Moore's behavior as he exhibited signs of nervousness and possibility of flight."
As Bowie County Sheriff's Office Lt. Brent Caudle placed Moore in cuffs, the officer noticed a piece of suspected methamphetamine near the truck. A field test confirmed the substance was meth. Behind the pickup's driver's seat, officers allegedly discovered a small amount of cocaine.
"Moore became combative and argumentative and was transported to Bi-State in a caged patrol unit," the affidavit states.
Moore's indictment for assault on a public servant includes a repeat offender enhancement notice. Moore was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm Sept. 9, 2014, in Miller County, Ark. If convicted of assaulting Ballard, Moore faces two to 10 years in prison. If convicted of possession of a controlled substance under one gram, Moore could be ordered to serve six months to two years in a state jail.
Moore is in Bowie County custody. Lockhart revoked his $5,000 bond after the courtroom struggle in April.