Wood County Man Dead In Officer Involved Shooting

Released by the Wood County Sheriff’s Office:

At 11.02 P.M. last evening the Wood County Sheriffs Office received a report of a suicidal subject located at his residence at 134 CR 3955. The subject was identified as Gary Don Lafon, a w/m, 56 years of age. Mr. Lafon has had prior contact with the Sheriffs Office.

Wood County Deputies were dispatched and arrived on scene at 11:16 P.M. and made multiple attempts to make contact with Gary Don Lafon by phone and the vehicle loud speaker without any success. Due to Mr. Lafon’s threats to harm himself and others EMS was staged in the area.

At 11:31 P.M. Deputies made entry to the residence by the front door. At that time Lafon pointed a firearm at the Deputies and shots were fired. Lafon was hit by the gunfire. EMS arrived on scene and at 11:40 P.M. advised that Lafon was deceased. Mr. Lafon’s body has been transported to Dallas for an autopsy. The Deputies were not injured in the exchange and have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

Because it is a Deputy-Involved Shooting The Texas Rangers were notified and at 1:26 AM the Texas Ranger Crime Scene Investigation Team arrived on scene and began their investigation. The Rangers are in the process of conducting the investigation assisted by The Wood County Sheriff’s Office.