A 20-year-old Garrison man already free on bond for a June assault case is now facing a first-degree felony after deputies say he attacked a family member on August 27, leaving the victim with a broken ankle, scrapes and abrasions. Investigators later found something else during a search of his home: a Glock .40-caliber handgun rigged with an aftermarket selector switch capable of turning it into a fully automatic weapon.
Kazmon Kei Shawn Vanzandt was booked into the Rusk County Jail on August 29 following an investigation the Rusk County Sheriff's Office opened two days earlier into allegations of aggravated assault family violence, according to The Henderson News. Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 Jana Enloe issued arrest warrants for Vanzandt that same day, and he was ultimately charged with aggravated assault family violence, a first-degree felony, along with violation of a protective order, a class A misdemeanor. Under Texas law, first-degree felony aggravated assault family violence charges require proof of serious bodily injury or a deadly weapon used against a family member, and the reported broken ankle appears to be what elevated the case to that level.
Vanzandt was already out on a $50,000 bond tied to a separate Rusk County aggravated assault case reportedly stemming from an alleged June 2026 incident when the new allegations surfaced. He was released again after posting new bonds totaling $80,000, per the sheriff's office. The Rusk County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains active and that it anticipates additional criminal charges may follow.
Deputies Track Suspect Using License Plate Camera Network
To find Vanzandt, the Rusk County Sheriff's Office used information from multiple agencies and law enforcement sources, including the Flock license plate reader camera system, which placed him within roughly 1,500 feet of the location where he was ultimately arrested. Panola County law enforcement officials carried out the arrest. Automated license plate reader systems like Flock Safety capture license plates and vehicle characteristics and cross-reference them across multi-agency databases, letting officers track suspects across county lines, as The Texas Tribune has reported.
That same surveillance tool is now under statewide scrutiny. In August, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a freeze on state funding for Flock Safety cameras amid growing debate and investigations into potential officer misuse across the state, according to reporting tied to the governor's office. The Rusk County case underscores how the technology is simultaneously drawing criticism and playing a direct role in tracking down suspects in active investigations.
Search Warrant Turns Up Illegal Weapon Modification
Rusk County Court at Law Judge Chad Dean issued an evidentiary search warrant for Vanzandt's residence in the 6000 block of CR 3183 near Garrison. Investigators seized the Glock handgun with the aftermarket selector switch, commonly known as a Glock switch, during that search. On August 30, investigators obtained another arrest warrant charging Vanzandt with possession of a prohibited weapon.
A Glock switch allows a semiautomatic handgun to fire more than one round with a single pull of the trigger, effectively converting it to fire automatically. Under Texas Penal Code § 46.05, possessing an unregistered machine gun or a conversion device like a Glock switch is a third-degree felony punishable by two to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to L&L Law Group. Federal law treats the devices even more seriously: under the National Firearms Act, a Glock switch is legally classified as a machine gun on its own, even when detached from a firearm, carrying federal penalties of up to 10 years in prison, per the U.S. Department of Justice and ATF.
Part of a Broader Surge in Conversion Device Seizures
Vanzandt's case adds to a fast-growing national pattern. According to the ATF's National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment released in January 2025 and cited by Everytown Research & Policy, law enforcement agencies recovered 11,088 machine gun conversion devices nationwide between 2019 and 2023 — a 784 percent increase over five years. Rusk County's seizure mirrors similar Texas incidents Hoodline has covered this year, including a DeSoto traffic stop gun bust and an Austin gunfire aftermath that also turned up an illegal switch.
Under Texas Penal Code § 22.02, the aggravated assault family violence charge alone carries a punishment range of five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, since it is classified as a first-degree felony. Garrison sits near the Rusk and Nacogdoches county line, a small community of fewer than 900 residents within a wider ZIP code area of roughly 3,452 people. Rusk County, with an estimated population of 54,854 and its county seat in Henderson, processes felony cases like this one through its district and county courts.
All charges against Vanzandt remain allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The sheriff's office has not detailed what additional charges it expects, and the investigation remains open.
