Sheriff Releases Details of Tuesday Night Standoff

At 7:20 p.m., Tuesday, June 2, Tom Green County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the 10000 block of Runion Road for a report of a domestic dispute which had escalated to physical violence. Deputies responding to the call were advised that the suspect had a pipe and was striking the victim’s vehicle with it.  When the first deputy arrived on the scene, he observed a blue jeep near the gate leading to the property that had been locked with a chain. 

The deputy observed the suspect, who was identified as William McGary. McGary was holding a long stick in his hand. McGary began yelling at the victim as he walked towards the blue jeep she had been sitting in. The deputy feared that McGary was about to cause harm to the victim, so he made the decision to enter the property through the gap between the gates. As the deputy approached McGary, McGary walked passed the victim and entered his residence. 

The deputy took advantage and ordered the victim to come to his location.  Once the victim was safe, they both exited the property and took cover behind the patrol unit.  Additional units with the Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist.  While deputies were speaking with the victim and getting a timeline of the incident, a gunshot was fired in their direction from the residence of William McGary.

The responding deputies advised dispatch that shots were fired and requested additional back up units.  A perimeter was setup and a visual was kept on McGary.  McGary could be seen with night vision binoculars as he walked around the property carrying a rifle in his hand.  Due to the thickness of the wooded area and tall grass, deputies lost sight of McGary.  As additional units arrived on scene and were being briefed, a second shot was fired from the direction of the residence.  Deputies were able to hear the bullet as it echoed passed them. 

Once the Special Response teams from the Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and detectives with the Criminal Investigation Division arrived, a tighter perimeter was set up around McGary’s residence. McGary was spotted and orders were shouted from him to drop his weapon. McGary ran from the residence westbound into a wooded field.  Once McGary exited his residence, deputies made entry and then searched and secured it.

Air assistance was then called to help with the search. A Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter, along with an additional one from U.S. Customs, gave air support. Tracking dogs from the San Angelo Police Department were called in to help with the land search. 

As teams flooded the area, McGary continued to elude law enforcement by running into the wooded fields and thick brush. The search continued for hours as search teams closed the perimeter on McGary. At 3:20 a.m. McGary was observed moving westbound in direction of a search team, where contact was made and he was apprehended, thus ending the eight hours long manhunt.

William McGary, 40, of San Angelo, has been charged with aggravated assault public servant, a first-degree felony.  A first-degree felony is punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than 5 years and may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.  McGary is currently being held in the Tom Green County Jail on a $75,000 bond. 

Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by San Angelo Police Department K-9, Texas DPS & DPS Air Craft, Customs Air Craft, Midland Police Department, and Texas Rangers.