North Texas man sentenced to 50 years for shooting at deputies who saved his life
PARKER COUNTY – A Weatherford man who shot at three Parker County Sheriff's Office deputies, was subsequently shot, and then had his life saved by those same deputies, has been sentenced to 50 years in prison, authorities said Thursday.
Gary Donald Evans, 56, pleaded guilty on Monday to three charges of aggravated assault of a public servant and opted for a jury to determine his punishment. Judge Craig Towson presided over the trial, which concluded on Wednesday with the jury's sentencing in the 43rd District Court.
Under Texas law, the sentences for all three charges will run concurrently, making Evans ineligible for parole until he is 83 years old.
According to authorities, Evans shot at deputies on Jan. 30, 2024, while they were attempting to arrest him on a misdemeanor unlawfully carrying a weapon warrant. He moved from behind a vehicle that he was repairing and fired at the deputies. One of his shots hit a deputy below his bulletproof vest.
After being arrested, Evans was taken to Harris Methodist Hospital for treatment.
"Mr. Evans started shooting at the deputies before they even had a chance to say anything," District Attorney Jeff Swain said in a news release. "He hit one deputy below his bulletproof vest, but thankfully the bullet struck an extra magazine that he had on his duty belt, saving him from any significant injury. But for him having spare ammunition in that location, that deputy would likely have died."
Swain said the three deputies returned fire and the situation ended in mere seconds when Evans went down.
"But what was incredible was that, within moments after that, the deputies began rendering aid to the man who had just been trying to shoot them," Swain said. "In fact, by putting a tourniquet on both his leg and his arm and applying a chest seal to another injury, they actually saved his life."
In June 2024, the three deputies garnered the Life-Saving Award from the Parker County Commissioners Court.
"Deputies Evans and Lawson and Corporal Montanez showed tremendous courage under fire, quick thinking, and decisive action during this entire encounter," Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier said in the release. "Their actions kept our community safe and saved the life of a suspect who had just tried to kill them. Their community should be proud of them. I know I am."
The defense claimed Evans was depressed after his wife left him and due to a lack of job opportunities, and that he was attempting to commit "suicide by cop."
But prosecutors argued it was instead attempted murder.
"Even after he was hit and went down into a sitting position, he still tried to acquire targets to shoot," Swain said. "That's not suicide by cop, that's trying to murder a cop."
The jury deliberated for four hours before handing down the sentence.
Evans' attorneys indicated plans to appeal the verdict.
