An 18-year-old Houston man faces two felony charges and is in the Texas County Jail after allegedly holding a gun at a girl’s head Tuesday and threatening to hurt multiple people with a pick-ax.
According to Houston Police Chief Jim McNiell, Thomas S. Parks, of 417 Mill St., Lot 9, is charged with unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree assault. McNiell said a series of phone calls that eventually led to Parks’ arrest began coming in from the Texas County Sheriff’s Department at 12:44 p.m.
Officers first checked Parks’ home address and found him sitting on the steps of a trailer holding a crowbar. He said three other men who had been bothering him had left a short time earlier.
“He said ‘I have this to protect myself – I’m not going to let three guys beat me up,’ ” McNiell said.
At about 1:05 p.m., another phone call led officers to a home on Chestnut Street where two teenage girls were allegedly being held against their will by Parks. Yet another call came in minutes later indicating Parks was threatening to kill them.
McNiell and officer Matt Woodmansee responded.
“We arrived at the same time and found Mr. Parks sitting in the yard staring at the front door,” McNiell said. “It was a glass door and he could see through to where a crowd was standing behind the door. Within reach of Mr. Parks was a long-handled pick-ax.”
The officers immediately handcuffed Parks, put him in a patrol car and seized the pick-ax. Statements were taken from seven people on the scene as to what occurred.
Witnesses told police that Parks earlier had placed a .32-caliber two-shot Derringer pistol against the head of one of the girls. It was determined that the girls had not been held against their will, and Parks had abruptly pulled out the gun.
McNiell said he knew the weapon involved in the incident would be crucial evidence. As Parks was being interviewed later, he told officers they would find the weapon in his bedroom. They did, and it was seized as evidence.
“At the time the weapon was located, there was no ammunition in it,” McNiell said. “That’s not to say there wasn’t earlier, and it doesn’t matter – as long as someone feels like their life is threatened, the case is there.”
Parks is held on $500,000 bond.
“It’s tragic and I hate it,” McNiell said. “I don’t know what triggered him to have the mindset to do this. I know he’s had some issues, but none of it should result in pointing a handgun at the back of somebody’s head.
“Everything worked out well and everyone involved was cooperative. But Mr. Parks needs help, and I wish him well.”
In an unrelated incident, police issued Parks a citation for property damage on Sept. 16 after he allegedly spray-painted “707” on a dumpster at Hardee’s restaurant on Sam Houston Blvd.
A Hardee’s employee reported also seeing Parks throwing rocks at a building housing a business next door. Parks reportedly admitted to throwing rocks, but denied painting the dumpster and claiming a friend did it.
An investigating officer stated the friend couldn’t have done it because he was in jail when it happened.
The owner of the business where the rocks were thrown was contacted and stated a small amount of damage was caused near a window.
(Editor’s note: Additional information was released on Monday, Oct. 6, by Houston police that is included in this article).