San Antonio Man Indicted for Threatening to Kill a State Trooper

SAN ANGELO— A San Angelo man has been indicted by a grand jury for threatening a state trooper, Possession of Marijuana and Criminal Trespass. 

James Alexander Hawkins, 43, was indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury in February for Obstruction or Retaliation after threatening to kill a state trooper and breaking his sunglasses.

According to court documents, on December 15, 2023, around 8:20 p.m., a Department of Public Safety state trooper performed a traffic stop near mile marker 482 on US-87 on a silver Chevy Malibu for a defective license plate lamp. Hawkins was identified as the driver, and a strong smell of marijuana was coming from his vehicle.

The trooper asked Hawkins to exit the vehicle on the side of the road and ran his driver license. After doing so, Hawkins was found to have an active warrant. The trooper secured him inside the front seat of his patrol unit for the warrant. A probable cause search of Hawkins’ vehicle was conducted.

Located inside the Chevy Malibu was loose leaf marijuana in between the front driver seat and floorboard and a metal marijuana grinder that also contained loose leaf marijuana was found in a bag in the trunk. Several marijuana roaches were located in the vehicle’s ashtray.

Hawkins was informed that he had a warrant and that he was being arrested for possession of marijuana. He became irate and said that if he had a gun, the trooper would be a sign on the side of the road. Hawkins also began kicking the in-car camera inside the patrol vehicle. The trooper called for a sheriff’s deputy to secure Hawkins in the backseat. Then, Hawkins broke a pair of sunglasses that belonged to the trooper.

Hawkins was arrested for Possession of Marijuana <2oz, Obstruction or Retaliation, and Criminal Mischief >=$100<$750, on December 15, 2023, and posted an $8,000 bond the next day. Hawkins is due in court next on April 16, 2024, and has a jury trial currently set for September 9, 2024.