TEXARKANA, Texas - A man who was shot by police while allegedly reaching for a handgun in March 2020 wants his bail reduced.
Timothy Keonte Noble, 21, appeared via video Monday afternoon before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell for a bond hearing. Noble is currently being held on felony and misdemeanor bonds totaling $140,000.
Noble's lawyer, Andrew Howard of Dallas, told Tidwell he believes the bail amounts set for Noble are oppressive and in violation of Noble's civil rights and the Texas constitution.
Noble is currently charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. A misdemeanor charge of evading arrest is pending in Bowie County Court at Law.
Howard said he hopes the court will reduce Noble's bond to an amount his family can afford so that Noble can be free and assist Howard in his defense. Howard also noted that Noble has been in jail about a year without a trial date being set.
Howard described Noble as a non-violent person with no history of conviction for a violent offense. Howard said that he and the prosecution view the video evidence in the case differently and that he believes Noble was trying to comply with the police officer's commands when he was shot.
Tidwell told Howard that the $100,000 bond set in the aggravated assault case is not unusual. Tidwell said he expected Howard to call witnesses, such as members of Noble's family, to give testimony regarding the amount of bail the family could afford to post.
Tidwell rescheduled the bond hearing for next week to give Howard time to arrange for witnesses. Tidwell also scheduled Noble's case for jury selection June 22.
Officers responded to calls reporting a group of armed, masked men walking through the Woodbridge Apartment complex and shots fired, according to a probable cause affidavit. Noble was shot several times by a Texarkana, Texas, police officer following a foot chase in the early hours of March 23.
About 3 a.m. officers came upon four men who immediately ran from them. Three of the men ran into a residential housing area while a fourth, identified as Noble, fled until he was confronted in the parking lot of Prima Iglesia Bautista Hispana church. Noble was allegedly squatting in a 4-foot deep concrete drainage ditch when the officer approached, drew his service weapon and ordered Noble to drop the gun he allegedly carried.
Noble allegedly laid his gun on the rim of the ditch but ignored the officer's command to lie on the ground. Noble allegedly lunged for the gun, which led the officer to fire multiple rounds from his service weapon.
According to the affidavit, body camera footage from two officers, including the officer who shot Noble, confirms that Noble lunged for his pistol seconds before he was fired upon. Noble was treated at a local hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries and is currently being held in the Bowie County jail.