> LIST: McLennan County grand jury indictments - Nov. 9, 2016


A McLennan County grand jury has cleared a security officer in the Aug. 3 shooting death of a Waco man killed during a struggle with the officer outside a Waco bingo hall.

 

Jimmy Parker, who was working for Pro Security Group, was no-billed in the death of Juan Marcus Howard, 35, who was shot and killed near the Buckeye Bingo hall, 2423 Cole Ave., after police say he reached for Parker’s gun during a struggle.

As Parker wrestled with Howard and tried to push him away, Parker shot himself in the left hand. That shot exited his hand and struck Howard in the chest. Parker then shot Howard again in the chest, according to records filed in the case.

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Several bones were shattered in Parker’s hand, according to an official from the Security Officer’s Brotherhood. He also suffered other injuries, the official said.

 

Howard, who was dressed in black gloves and a black hoodie, was “well known” to local police, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said in August. His criminal history includes bank robbery, assault, injury to a child and criminal trespass.

 

“Anytime you try to grab an officer’s gun, we can assume you are going to try to kill us with it,” Swanton said the day after the shooting.