Jefferson County deputies believe that the man they have in custody after a suspect exchanged gunfire with a deputy Monday evening in a west Jefferson County sub-division is the only person involved in the incident.
Justin Dean, 23, who deputies describe as a transient with ties to Mississippi, was taken into custody after a search involving several agencies according to a release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Dean is currently in the Jefferson county jail with a $100,000 bond for retaliation out of Mississippi. The other charges are pending for Dean at this time.
Deputies were still searching the area Tuesday for the gun they say Dean discarded during the chase.
Deputies initially responded to a call about a suspicious person knocking on doors in the 14000 block of Michelle in the Diamond D subdivision off Highway 90 just after 6 p.m. according to the release.
When a deputy arrived he saw the suspect, identified as Dean, running to the west of the neighborhood toward the horse barns the release said.
Dean fired a gun at the deputy as he was being chased by the deputy, who was not injured and has not been named.
The deputy fired back at Dean, called for assistance and continued to pursue Dean according to the release.
As soon as more deputies arrived a perimeter was set up and officers from the Beaumont Police Department, Department of Public Safety and the BATF assisted in the search the release said.
A Beaumont Police K-9 unit assisted and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office helicopter assisted from overhead the release said.
The deputies searched for about 45 minutes before they received a call from a resident named Kenneth Mitchell who said Dean was banging on his front door.
"He was saying let me in, let me in someone is chasing me let me in,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell said he was watching TV in his living room while his wife was getting a head start on gift wrapping.
He said he heard gunshots then a loud banging on his front door.
“It was just a scary situation, seeing him come to his front door trying to get in,” said Mitchell.
Dean was eventually located nearby Mitchell’s home and arrested.
Dean is currently being held on a retaliation warrant from Mississippi though more charges stemming from the incident Monday night are pending against him according to the release.
At one point deputies believed there may have been a second suspect involved so the search was continued from the air using the helicopter's thermal imaging camera.
During the search deputies discovered that at least one home in the area had been burglarized but are currently unsure if Dean was involved the release said.
After a lengthy search no other suspects were found and deputies called off the search.
Deputies now believe that Dean, who was initially seen wearing a dark colored hoodie, may have discarded his "outer clothing" along with the gun during the search.
The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate and is asking residents in the neighborhood who have surveillance cameras to review them and contact the sheriff's office if they see any suspicious activity between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday evening.
Residents can contact the sheriff's office Criminal Investigation Division at 409-835-8419.
The sheriff's office commended the residents of the neighborhood for being vigilant and contacting them according to the release.