The following is a video transcript.
On December 29, 2019, Jack Wilson, head of his church’s volunteer safety team, defended the members of the congregation from an active shooter.
Jack Wilson, U.S. LawShield Member:
“From the time he stood, ‘til he was down was six seconds. And that is very quick, but it also is a long period of time, because he had already shot and killed two people. When he stood up and turned with the gun, Richard White was drawing his gun and told him to drop the gun. He immediately shot Richard. He racked the shotgun, turned and immediately shot Tony Wallace at point-blank range, racked the shotgun again and was headed down to the front of the building. And that’s when he evidently caught my movement, because I had taken one step off of the wall. And he kind of halfway turned to me, and that’s when I took my shot.”
In just six seconds, Jack lost two friends but saved countless others. It took nine months for a Texas Grand Jury to clear him.
Katherine Reed, U.S. LawShield Independent Program Attorney for the State of Texas:
“The stress really stemmed from just the length of time that it was pending for him. I always knew it was pretty much a certainty that he was going to be No-Billed and that they were going to find he was justified. Whenever I have a client that is clearly innocent, I want that to be made official as quickly as possible. And so when you have such a pure, clean, innocent, justified client, I always want that to be done quickly so that they can move on with their life.”
Jack Wilson, U.S. LawShield Member:
“When they were finally able to seat the grand jury panel, the DA presented my case to the grand jury. Fairly quickly after they seated the panel, we received a No-Bill on the charge of murder.
That was on a Tuesday, and then the following Monday I actually received my firearm back. They had my firearm the entire time—from the time of the shooting on December 29 until after the No-Bill.”
Jack received news of the No-Bill on September 29, 2020.
Jack Wilson, U.S. LawShield Member:
“When the grand jury did issue the No-Bill, that was a pleasant relief, to not have that hanging over my head at that point. I knew that I didn’t have anything to worry about going through the grand jury process because when I made the phone call, I talked to an attorney that afternoon; within an hour and 15 minutes, Ms. Reed was on site.”
Katherine Reed, U.S. LawShield Independent Program Attorney for the State of Texas:
“So the grand jury obviously have the discretion to review as much material or as little material as they want to. They have the authority to issue subpoenas, request additional evidence. So any of that could have been happening. I think it was clear that Jack didn’t do anything wrong, but I also think the grand jury did their duty in reviewing every single thing to make sure that there wasn’t information out there that would indicate Jack had done anything wrong but acted completely justified.
The question was always whether or not Jack—like many people in the LawShield community—are legally justified in their acts. I think it was clear based on the number of people he saved, the fact that the shooter had killed two other innocent people, that Jack was completely justified for his own self-defense, for the defense of others.
The good thing about LawShield or about having any attorney representing you—especially somebody that has experience with large cases or with the area that you have a case in—is that they know the procedures and they know who to contact. The average citizen has no idea what’s going to happen, and they feel sometimes overwhelmed by the idea that there are big systems that are thinking about them and considering their cases. And if they don’t understand what’s happening, that can be daunting and I’m sure stressful, and so having an attorney on your side to explain some of that procedure, hopefully gives some comfort. It allows them to live their life while this is pending.”
Jack is a firearms instructor. His dedication to regular practice with his firearm helped him to react quickly and accurately when defending his friends, family, and fellow parishioners.
Jack Wilson, U.S. LawShield Member:
“What I tell each of my students in class—and even had a phone call this morning, that individual wanted to sign up with LawShield—I tell everyone in my class that you need this before you start carrying, because the minute you don’t have it, the probability only increases that you might have to use it.
You don’t have to worry about anything else. When something happens, you pick up the phone, you call the hotline. You will talk to a live attorney right then. This way you dealt with U.S. LawShield, you do not have to worry if you have to use your firearm and what you’re gonna do after the fact.
There are no safe havens; you can’t say that ‘Oh, we’re not gonna have any problems,’ because that’s what some people were thinking then. A sign on any door is not gonna stop anybody that is bent on doing evil.”
Today, Jack continues training individuals and organizations alike to be prepared to defend themselves and their peers from potential attacks.
In November, Jack won the election for Hood County Commissioner. He shares not only his knowledge and skill, but also his compassion, with the people of Hood County, Texas.
Jack Wilson, U.S. LawShield Member:
“I am Jack Wilson, and I’m a proud member of U.S. LawShield.”
The information provided in this presentation is intended to provide general information to individuals and is not legal advice. The information included in this publication may not be quoted or referred to in any other publication without the prior written consent of U.S. LawShield, to be given or withheld at our discretion. The information is not a substitute for, and does not replace the advice or representation of a licensed attorney. We strive to ensure the information included in this publication is accurate and current, however, no claim is made to the accuracy of the information and we are not responsible for any consequences that may result from the use of information in this publication. The use of this publication does not create an attorney-client relationship between U.S. LawShield, any independent program attorney, and any individual.
Glad it all turned out for Jack as it should. I too am a longtime member. My only question is, with a case as cut and dried as this, why couldn’t TLS move the process forward quicker? I hope his program attorney was on the phone daily trying to get this resolved. If a COP had made this “good shoot” they would never loose a nights sleep worrying about their freedom! Yes, you should carry insurance if you’re going to exercise your LTC license, but I’m not sure TLS should be patting themselves on the back, considering the nine months it took to resolve this.
Scott this isn’t insurance it is a buyer’s group there are no policy’s issued of coverage you are paying a retainer for an attorney in advance at a very low rate. and as far as moving faster the wheels of justice move at their own pace and 9 months is fairly fast. police officers today are not cleared any faster and they are more scrutinized than civilians.
Frankly, you don’t have a say how long a Grand Jury takes to review and make a final determination. Nor do you get to push the DA office to rush a case through a Grand Jury hearing.
I’m not a licensed attorney, but you can research this this same as I did and you’ll reach the same conclusion as I did.
What the holy F (forgive me, Lord) is wrong with our justice system? It is perverted and backwards.
Too much Libbercrat input???
And this is why we need something like Lawshield, however unnecessary it SHOULD be.
I am wondering the same thing as Scott in his comment of January 28, 2021 1724.
I have been an attorney for more than four decades. Laws regulating grand juries differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, however, not so much. Defense counsel has no right to call or cross-examine witnesses. In fact, in most states they are not even allowed to be in the room, even if their client is testifying. The client must ask for permission to go out in the hall to ask their attorney questions. I am unaware of anything defense counsel can do to expedite a grand jury proceeding.
As a TLS account holder AND LE Professional I too am concerned with the lengthy time it took for this man to just be deemed innocent of an illegal act (murder). 9 months ??? Come on….. There was not an extensive crime scene to process, no “unknown suspect” that had to be located, no plot to unravel to get to the truth. And with legal representation mind you. I’m not saying that the defense is responsible for the “swiftness” of the process, however if that had been a politician, LE, other government or “high profile” official I do not believe the process would have dragged as much. This is why I own more than ONE gun.
I had an afterthought after posting my comment: What if this had been a full-time LE Officer that took that shot? He or she could not have returned to work with a pending no bill lingering over their head for the next 9 months. And with this being an off-duty incident, there would not have been “paid leave” available so no income for 9 months. Seems ridiculous when viewed from that perspective.
dollars to doughnuts if a LEO involved with this type of incident, off-duty or not, would have been on paid suspension for the entirety.
As mentioned in the article, Mr. Wilson had to surrender his firearm for the duration of the proceeding. Does this imply that his LTC was suspended pending the Grand Jury decision? Thank you.
I don’t think he was ever charged with a crime. I think the Grand Jury must investigate all crimes where a person might be charged with a crime. The No Bill is the Grand Jurys decision that no crime was committed, and Mr. Wilson would not be charged and held over for trial.
Keep in mind too, this happened in the worst perfect storm of timing. By the time it progressed through the normal starting legal process in the court systems, COVID shut down Tarrant (and every other county) court systems. I’ve not seen anyone mention that here, but Jack talks about that aspect.