James Richard Hill, age 54 has been identified as the man who shot Conroe Police OIfficer Keleman on Saturday afternoon.
At 4:00p.m. Saturday afternoon Conroe Police were dispatched to the Flowers Discount Bakery in the 300 block North Loop 336 East next to the Conroe Fire Station 2 near the intersection of FM 1484. The first reports came in as a man was banging at the front door with a shotgun. The first officer on the scene was Sergeant James Keleman, a six year veteran of the Conroe Police force. As he arrived he advised the dispatcher there was a white male with a shotgun.
Seconds later Keleman told the dispatcher,”he’s pointing the shotgun at me now”. He then repeated several times, “if you are still on the phone with the reportee tell them to get away from the window, get away from the window.” Within seconds the transmission nobody ever wants to hear,”shots fired, officer down, get PHI (air medical) in the air get medical.
Conroe Station 2 would have normally have been in the station and would have been dispatched next door to give medical attention. Today though, they were at the KidsFest in downtown Conroe and another engine along with EMS was dispatched.
Other officers had arrived on the scene, along with Keleman one was positioned in the fire station and was able to fire on the suspect after he shot Keleman.
According to District Attorney Brett Ligon he believes Keleman did not fire on Hill immediately when the shotgun was pointed at him due to the chance of striking one of the people in the store at the windows.
Hill was dead at the scene. Keleman was flown by PHI Air Medical to Hermann Hospital in Houston where doctors were able to stabilize him.
As of 10 p.m. Sergeant Keleman is talking, moving around and even joking some. He was shot in the face with #6 shot out of the Hills double barrel shotgun. Doctors have tonight said he will lose his right eye.
The suspect has been at the store before. He was acquainted with a female employee who had called police several times. Once as early as 2:00p.m. this afternoon after what Brett Ligon said Hill said he was going to go out in a blaze of glory.
When he showed up this later she locked him out of the store. a pickup in the back of the building had the tires slashed, the tires of the female employee had her tires slashed. A knife was found in his pocket that officials believe is what was used to damage those tires.
Police closed two lanes of Loop 336 as the investigation continued. District Attorney Brett Ligon also had his investigators on the scene.
Judge Spikes ordered an autopsy be performed in Dallas as it was not known what actually killed Hill as pistols and .223 weapons were used after he fired.
Police have good dash cam video as the scene unfolded. In addition the bakery had video in place which caught the incident.
At 9:30pm the scene was cleared and traffic returned to normal.
Hill who resides in the Tarkington area of Liberty County has no apparent criminal background but has been handled by agencies prior.
