In a harrowing encounter that nearly cost him his life, Harris County Precinct 4 Deputy Deteryon Fontenot, a father of two, survived a close-range shooting mere days before Father's Day. During the incident, Fontenot was shot at 16 times with an AR-15 rifle, the ordeal was captured on the deputy's dash cam. Miraculously, Fontenot escaped with only minor injuries - "barely a few scratches," he recalled in an exclusive interview with FOX 26—speaking of the event with a sense of survival rather than victimhood. He expressed gratitude for his life: "It’s unbelievable. I know that I’m blessed, and I have a lot of family and friends that are praying over me and for me," Deputy Fontenet told FOX 26.
The sequence of events began to unfold when 23-year-old D’anthony Simms Coleman reportedly robbed two Academy sporting goods stores, an aggressive spree that culminated in a direct confrontation with law enforcement. Despite facing the intense and lethal barrage of gunfire, Fontenot relied on his training to actively evade being hit, as he moved to not be "an easy target." "I refer back to my training. You don’t stay there and be an easy target. You have to make it hard for any suspect or anybody that is willing to take your life," he explained in the interview. The suspect involved, Simms-Coleman, has been arrested and charged with first-degree felony aggravated assault of a public servant, along with robbery and theft charges pending further investigation, as reported by ABC13.
Following the chase and shooting, which occurred last Friday, and the apprehension of Simms-Coleman, who retreated to a relative's home before his arrest, Constable Mike Herman of the Precinct 4 Constable's Office noted the extent of damage to Deputy Fontenot's patrol car, which had at least 16 bullet holes. The deputy was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, primarily from bullet fragments and glass shards, but has since been discharged and is recovering at home. The events that transpired appear even more poignant as just days later, Deputy Fontenot celebrated his toddler's third birthday and Father’s Day, giving thanks for his survival and the opportunity to be present with his family.
Underscoring the gravity of these life-threatening moments, Deputy Fontenot expressed a deep appreciation for community support, including a good Samaritan who risked his safety to intervene. "And I want to give a special thanks to the good Samaritan who stopped his vehicle. He placed his vehicle in park with his family still inside. I observed him step out of his vehicle and draw his weapon in an effort to assist me and provide cover fire or if anything was needed. So I highly thank him for that. I’ve had so many people praying for me and I thank them as well. I didn’t know I had so much support, so much love surrounding me, until after the incident," Fontenot remarked to FOX 26.
