A 36-year-old man from Chino Hills, California, was arrested in Eagle Pass after police say a Fourth of July traffic-control stop escalated when he became combative and allegedly grabbed an officer’s service weapon during the arrest. Authorities say he now faces a state-jail felony and a Class A misdemeanor and is being held on a combined $20,000 bond.
In a Facebook post cited by local station KABB/FOX San Antonio, the Eagle Pass Police Department said officers assigned to traffic control encountered Marcus Hunter Ray after he tried to leave the event area against officers’ directions and showed signs of intoxication. According to police, several of Ray’s acquaintances attempted to escort him away, but he continued to act in a “combative and aggressive manner.” Officers said that as they moved to take him into custody, Ray “actively resisted officers” and “grabbed the service weapon of one of the arresting officers.” Ray was processed at the Eagle Pass Police Department, presented before a magistrate and charged with attempting to take a weapon from a peace officer and resisting arrest; bond was set at $15,000 for the felony and $5,000 for the misdemeanor, for a total of $20,000, as reported by KABB/FOX San Antonio.
Legal Context and Penalties
Taking or attempting to take a weapon from a peace officer is set out under Texas Penal Code §38.14 and is classified as a state-jail felony, while resisting arrest is addressed under §38.03 and is ordinarily a Class A misdemeanor. The punishment range for a state-jail felony is typically 180 days to two years in a state jail and a fine up to $10,000, while a Class A misdemeanor can bring up to one year in county jail and fines as allowed by law. See Texas Penal Code §38.14, §38.03 and the state-jail punishment provisions in Penal Code §12.35.
What Happens Next
The Eagle Pass Police Department said the case will be referred to the Maverick County District Attorney’s Office and the Maverick County Attorney’s Office for review and possible prosecution, and that Ray was remanded to the Tom Bowles Detention Center following his magistrate hearing. The department also noted in its post that all subjects arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty, as reported by KABB/FOX San Antonio.
