An overnight shift at a Richmond Five Below turned into an armed barricade situation early yesterday, when a Fort Bend County man who works at the store allegedly locked himself inside while armed and refused to come out, authorities said. Deputies say the employee first tried to strike several people with his vehicle in the shopping center parking lot, then went into the store. After negotiators made contact, he surrendered to deputies and was taken into custody without further incident.
When and where deputies responded
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Dispatch Center received a call around 12:17 a.m. from the 10300 block of W. Grand Parkway South in Richmond, according to Woodlands Online. Deputies were sent to the shopping center to investigate the disturbance and arrived shortly after the call came in.
How the standoff unfolded
Investigators say 33-year-old Ramsey Jones, identified as a current employee at the Five Below in that complex, allegedly tried to hit multiple people with a vehicle in the parking lot before going inside the store and barricading himself while armed, according to KPRC. After a period of negotiations with law enforcement, officials say Jones walked out of the business and surrendered, and deputies took him into custody without any further confrontation.
Charges and booking
According to the sheriff’s office, Jones was booked into the Fort Bend County Jail on five counts of aggravated assault on a public servant, and authorities say he also had two outstanding warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, ABC13 reports. Current county booking information can be viewed through the Fort Bend County online inmate lookup on the county roster.
What the charges could mean
Assault and aggravated assault charges carry heavy potential penalties in Texas, and cases that involve public servants or deadly weapons are treated especially seriously under state law. As outlined in the Texas Penal Code (§22.02), aggravated assault can be elevated when the alleged victim is a public servant and can be charged as a first-degree felony, which can carry a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison, per the Texas Penal Code.
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the incident, and officials say the case will be turned over to prosecutors for review. Investigators have not released any information about a possible motive while the probe is still underway.
