Mr Uncle Leroy
All Star
TRINIDAD, Texas – After almost 15 years, what is believed to be the longest armed standoff in American history quietly came to a peaceful close earlier this week.
John Joe Gray was arrested in 1999 for assaulting a state trooper during a traffic stop. Gray said it was his God-given right to carry the pistol he had that day, without a concealed handgun license. When the trooper tried to arrest him, Gray got into a scuffle with the officer and bit him.
Gray was eventually charged with assaulting a public servant, but he refused to return to court, and instead, armed himself at home.
"If they come out after us, bring extra body bags. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword," Gray told ABC News in a 2000 interview.
Since the felony charge in 1999, Gray has never left his 47-acres along the banks of the Trinity River between Tool and Trinidad, Texas.
Instead, Gray, his children, grandchildren, and friends patrol their property with pistols and rifles and refuse to let strangers inside.
National Geographic said it took a crew two years to earn the family’s trust recently.
"We've never shot no one yet,” Gray told National Geographic. “But they know, if they come on us, they'll be surprised what's going to happen to them."
the standoff currently underway in Oregonand what happened in this rural Texas county, the situations are completely different, according to Nutt.
"Those folks have occupied a public building. Joe Gray is on 47-acres that he owns out there," the sheriff explained.
The Grays painted their paranoia on signs posted along their fence. “Vaccinationsequal annihilation” reads one of the anti-government messages.
Sheriff Nutt said he’s glad the district attorney decided to drop charges.
@JasonWhitely on Twitter.
Texas armed standoff ends after 15 years
John Joe Gray was arrested in 1999 for assaulting a state trooper during a traffic stop. Gray said it was his God-given right to carry the pistol he had that day, without a concealed handgun license. When the trooper tried to arrest him, Gray got into a scuffle with the officer and bit him.
Gray was eventually charged with assaulting a public servant, but he refused to return to court, and instead, armed himself at home.
"If they come out after us, bring extra body bags. Those who live by the sword will die by the sword," Gray told ABC News in a 2000 interview.
Since the felony charge in 1999, Gray has never left his 47-acres along the banks of the Trinity River between Tool and Trinidad, Texas.
Instead, Gray, his children, grandchildren, and friends patrol their property with pistols and rifles and refuse to let strangers inside.
National Geographic said it took a crew two years to earn the family’s trust recently.
"We've never shot no one yet,” Gray told National Geographic. “But they know, if they come on us, they'll be surprised what's going to happen to them."
the standoff currently underway in Oregonand what happened in this rural Texas county, the situations are completely different, according to Nutt.
"Those folks have occupied a public building. Joe Gray is on 47-acres that he owns out there," the sheriff explained.
The Grays painted their paranoia on signs posted along their fence. “Vaccinationsequal annihilation” reads one of the anti-government messages.
Sheriff Nutt said he’s glad the district attorney decided to drop charges.
@JasonWhitely on Twitter.
Texas armed standoff ends after 15 years
