Kilgore News Herald
KILGORE, Texas — “Get behind the truck! Get behind the truck! There’s a guy with a gun!”
Kilgore firefighters were still rolling up their hoses after battling a house fire early Saturday morning when they were attacked by a rifle-wielding neighbor.
Following a back-and-forth scuffle, while firefighters and the suspect’s wife and a child took shelter behind the fire engines, Kilgore Fire Marshal Brandon Bigos drew his firearm and shot the apparently intoxicated attacker in the left shoulder — identified as 39-year-old Kenny Wayne Davlin, he’s currently listed in stable condition, undergoing surgery at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview.
“Brandon’s quick actions on scene there, no doubt in my mind, saved quite a few firemen’s and civilians’ lives,” Kilgore Assistant Fire Chief Mike Simmons said Saturday.
Kilgore Fire Department personnel and Kilgore Rescue Unit volunteers were initially dispatched to 1512 Peach Street at approximately 1:00 a.m. to tackle a fully-engulfed, unoccupied residence.
“We show up on scene and it was approximately 50 percent involved, flames coming through the roof,” Simmons reported.
After extinguishing the blaze, KFD’s firefighters were packing up their equipment when they saw Davlin walking in the street with a handgun behind his back.
“Davlin appeared to be very intoxicated,” Kilgore Police Department reported in a press release.
The firefighters were shouting at each other to take cover, Simmons said, as Bigos arrived and the suspect’s wife approached the man.
“Brandon had just pulled up on scene to begin his investigation when the guy’s wife grabbed him and started pulling him back to the house. They fell on the ground and started wrestling around,” Simmons said. The woman pulled away and ran back in the house. Apparently, after disarming Davlin, “She took the gun from him and ran inside and hid it.”
Bigos intervened at that point, Simmons said, and was attempting to take Davlin into custody when the man broke away and ran back in his residence.
“He’s going to get another gun,” Simmons explained. “The wife ran out of the house with a two- or three-year-old child in her arms and ran toward us.”
As the firefighters pulled the woman and child to safety, Davlin reportedly exited the residence with an AR-15 rifle in hand, pointing it at the emergency responders. Bigos opened fire, KPD reported, and Davlin fell to the ground with a single gunshot wound.
“At this time the Texas Rangers are leading the investigation along with the Kilgore Police Department. The State Fire Marshal’s Office is leading an investigation as well,” Simmons added. Notably, “We’re not sure at this time if the two incidents are related or if they’re two random, separate incidents that occurred. What caused this fire, and what caused this gentleman to take the action that he took?
“We had no interaction with him. We’re kind of confused why he did what he did.”
Criminal charges are pending against Davlin, KPD reported. Gregg County Judicial Records list no incidents for the suspect more recent than a Driving While Intoxicated arrested in 2008; other past charges include assault / family violence and assault causing bodily injury.
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