The following is a video transcript.
In a matter of seconds, Jack Wilson’s life was forever changed when a gunman opened fire at his church on December 29, 2019.
Jack Wilson, U.S. & Texas LawShield Member:
On any given Sunday, there’s anywhere from 15 to 25 blood family members there. That particular day there were 16, so my concern was for them having to witness that.
Law enforcement immediately was there, both White Settlement PD and Fort Worth PD, and then some Fort Worth Marshals actually showed up shortly after that. They did take my weapon and collected the subject’s shotgun also. I informed law enforcement that I would be contacting Texas LawShield. Richard Hayes, actually, was the one that answered the phone, and he immediately said that he would contact Ms. Reed and have her come over to the church building.
Katherine Reed, U.S. & Texas LawShield Independent Program Attorney:
When I got there you could see that there were hundreds of law enforcement, all variety, local, federal. The area was blocked off for maybe about a quarter-mile. I made my way to a parking lot where I saw a few local officers and identified myself, said that I was the attorney for Mr. Wilson. At that point, I was escorted into the church and I was able to meet with Jack. Jack and I had a private room and were able to speak.
Jack Wilson:
The conversation with Ms. Reed was about the event: what occurred, how it occurred, how I’d been dealt with by law enforcement, how I was feeling, making sure that I was doing okay from an emotional aspect of it. Then, basically, helping me in dealing in conversations with law enforcement and the FBI.
Katherine Reed:
The police and law enforcement—FBI, ATF—they had all reviewed a lot of that footage by that point. And it was really clear, very quickly, that Jack was a hero and what he had done was completely justified.
It’s pretty standard that the police are going to take any firearm involved in any shooting, whether it’s completely justified or not. They want to confirm that the firearm’s not involved in some other offense, and that it doesn’t lead to any questions. With the federal government being involved (the FBI, the ATF, White Settlement, Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, so at least four or five different agencies) it’s not uncommon for that to happen, where everybody wants their reports to be correct before they turn them in. But my understanding is that their plan is to go ahead and present the case, which would be standard at the Tarrant County level, so that a grand jury can make a determination that he was justified.
A case like this, with so many levels of law enforcement, it would not be uncommon for it to take 3 to 6 months for them to receive the case. Obviously, the statute of limitations, there is none for this type of offense if they thought Jack did anything wrong. And so, I think they’re probably not going to rush it.
Jack Wilson:
I don’t have any concerns about the delay in the process from Tarrant County DA’s Office, because it’s just going through the process. I think that’s fine because I’m comfortable with that. I’m comfortable with the events and how they went down, as far from a legal standpoint. We’ve had numerous conversations and contact since that time, her making sure that I’m okay, making sure that there’s not anything that she needs to do to assist dealing with the Tarrant County DA’s Office, as far as making sure that everything is okay with them, and just basically supporting me and my efforts since the event.
Katherine Reed:
I think it’s clear that he was legally justified. I don’t think there’s any question from anybody. Just because he’s cleared in the criminal case, doesn’t give him automatic protection in a civil suit. This is such an egregious example that I really can’t see somebody trying to sue Jack in this situation. I tell people all the time, anybody can sue anybody in the state of Texas, really across the country. And I know that LawShield, obviously, they will handle his civil defense stuff that comes up, and I think this would be a pretty clear slam dunk for them if somebody did try to sue.
I think he just really was the perfect person for this situation because a lot of people probably would have hesitated, or would have been too emotional to do what needed to be done.
Jack Wilson:
The incident reaffirmed my concern that society as a whole has gone away from God, has gone away from moral stability, if you will. There are evil forces out there at all times, and whether it’s in church, whether it’s at the grocery store, Walmart, or anywhere else, there’s always that risk of someone attacking someone and possibly being thrown into the thrust of trying to protect someone.
I continually carry every day. Basically, if I’m dressed, I’m carrying. I would not recommend people carry without some kind of legal coverage, because you never know when you may have to use your firearm. Texas LawShield is a complete package from the time of an incident, all the way through. There is no stopping point once you’re signed up with LawShield.
My name is Jack Wilson and I’m a proud member of U.S. & Texas LawShield.
U.S. & Texas LawShield continues to speak with Jack on a regular basis.
Starting with Jack’s call to the 24/7/365 Attorney-Answered Emergency Hotline, U.S. & Texas LawShield’s Independent Program Attorneys responded quickly to support Jack directly at the scene.
U.S. & Texas LawShield continues to be in contact with authorities regarding the investigation of the incident and return of his confiscated firearm. U.S. & Texas LawShield will continue to protect him now, until all the way through any criminal trial if need be.
U.S. & Texas LawShield will also defend Jack from any civil action that may be taken against him.
Jack Wilson trusts U.S. LawShield. Now, it’s your turn. Join the family today and get access to our Independent Program Attorneys 24/7/365.
The post The Voice of a Hero: Jack Wilson’s Story appeared first on U.S. & Texas LawShield.