East Texas Police Chief Holes Up In Home, Leading To Hours-Long Standoff

NORMANGEE, TX — Nestled in East Texas with a population of just more than 700 people, a land mass of just 1.1 square miles and self-described as "the deerest place in Texas" for its ample deer population, the town of Normangee should, by outward appearances, be nothing more than a quiet little town.

Except it isn't. On Wednesday morning, the town's police chief was arrested after an hours-long standoff at his home during which shots were fired, according to local media reports. The police chief, Charles Herford, was holed up in his home along the 400 block of North 4th St. since about 2:30 a.m. until being taken into custody at around 7 a.m.

Details haven't been released as to what led to the sheriff's standoff. But his refusal to exit the dwelling prompted Normangee school officials to cancel all classes and extracurricular activities on Wednesday as a safety precaution.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported. The Texas Rangers have since taken charge of the investigation.

This isn't the first time the tranquility of the otherwise laid-back little town has been disrupted by a law enforcement official. In August 2013, then-chief Jody Navarro was arrested after an investigation reveaeled he had run a background check on someone at the behest of a drug dealer.

Navarro was sentenced to two years' probation and fined $1,000 for that favor after pleading guilty to running the background check based on a license plate through the use of a protected police computer. Investigators revealed Navarro did this as a favor to a methamphetamine trafficker, and the disgraced chief was forced to give up his peace officer's license.

.The local economy of Normangee doesn't exactly contain the makings of a metropolis, comprising just over 100 businesses in the banking, groceries, antiques/thrift stores and health care industries with a smattering of agricultural suppliers. Long before attention was focused on its police chiefs, the town was associated with tractors by virtue of its two most-recognized businesses known throughout Texas: Normangee Tractor & Implement Co. and J5 Tractor Co.

Today, the town's reputation is being plowed over by the behavior of residents tasked, ironically, with keeping the peace. Patch will update this story as more details on what led to Herford's standoff are provided by investigators.

>>> Image via Shutterstock