Domestic Terrorist Shoots Civilian and Two Police Officers in Texas Standoff

White Supremist and member of the Republic of Texas Militia, Victor White, 55, faces two counts of attempted capital murder. Trooper John Barton of the state Department of Public Safety said more charges were possible as the investigation continues. White turned himself in about 2 p.m., almost a day after police say he shot the three men on his property in west Odessa. "Just after setting his house on fire for some reason we don't know at this time, he walked toward one of our law enforcement armored vehicles and gave himself up," Barton said.

The standoff began after 4 p.m. Friday after Luke Bedrick, who works for an oil company, went to White’s property with Officer Ricky Tijerina and a co-worker to access an oil well on White’s property. Bedrick's company owns the mineral rights to the land. “When they approached him, at some point, there was a confrontation,” Sheriff Mark Donaldson said. “They started to leave and (White) pulled the gun and started shooting, hit my deputy three times and hit the citizen one time.”

“I didn’t hear three words from the guy before he started shooting,” Luke Bedrick said at his home Saturday evening. Bedrick said his co-worker was not injured. He said Officer McNeill arrived after the initial shooting.

Sheriff Donaldson said that at some point White stole a deputy’s vehicle and radio. White then used the stolen radio to taunt law enforcement officials and deride Sheriff Donaldson. White, who friends said has a long history of resentment toward Donaldson, could be heard over a police scanner calling the Sheriff a traitor and saying, “Mr. Donaldson, the wrath of the public is coming.”

“He told me he was going to put a bullet in my head between my eyes,” Sheriff Donaldson said, adding he heard bullets “whizzing by my ear.”

Pressed about his past with perpetrator White, Sheriff Donaldson said: “We’ve had different things with Mr. White and other people about his feelings about the way he thinks things should be.” Sheriff Donaldson said he could not recall any specific incidents that would have caused any resentment between the two men. “The only past we’ve had is what we’ve dealt with here years ago,” Sheriff Donaldson said.

Friends and acquaintances said White has long sympathized with the Militia group The Republic of Texas movement. White, only 55, claimed to be an ex-Vietnam War veteran. He rarely left his home and lived without electricity — flew an American flag upside down (per Tea Party design) on his property. “He’s a man that stands up for his rights. He doesn’t take any horse crap from nobody,” said cohort of White, Ken Nelson. “They’ve been trying to get him off of his property for some time.”

“It’s sad knowing that he wants to go that route,” said Rusty Evans, 49, who has lived across the street from White for years and was one of several residents displaced from their homes during the standoff. “I believe in (the Republic of Texas) myself, but I don’t believe in violence — not like that.”

Evans said he slept in a pickup Friday night. “All we could do was just hurry up and wait,” he said. “It lasted way too long.” While some West Odessa residents were distressed by the standoff, others were enthralled by the suspense. Dozens of people parked their vehicles atop a hill on 42nd Street north of White’s compound and watched through binoculars as the helicopters hovered above and perpetrator White shot at them.
References:
Suspect sets fire to house, surrenders in Texas standoff, police say
Victor Dewayne White, 55, being held on $500,000 bond