Christopher Foster was shot and killed by a Van Zandt county woman whose home he was reportedly trying to break into.

1. Woman shoots sex offender during home invasion
2. Video

By ROY MAYNARD, rmaynard@tylerpaper.com

 

The Van Zandt county judge is telling residents not to worry whether their 911 calls will be answered, after the Sheriff M.L. Ray said in a news release, “Presently, as the result of underfunding and inadequate staffing at the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office, homeowners need to take appropriate precautions to protect their families.”

Ray made that statement after a woman shot and killed a convicted sex offender who was trying to break into her home on Tuesday.

“I want to assure citizens of Van Zandt County that if you dial 911, the sheriff’s department will respond, and there will be a deputy en route,” County Judge Don Kirkpatrick said. “They don’t need to worry that they’re not protected in Van Zandt County.”

Sheriff Ray did not respond to several requests for an interview on Wednesday.

The problem is a budget fight, Kirkpatrick said.

“It saddens me that elected officials in Van Zandt County would want to start pointing fingers,” he said. “We do support our law enforcement, and we’re very proud of the job they do.”

The county budget, which is posted online, shows that county commissioners have increased the sheriff’s budget and manpower. In fiscal year 2014, the county budgeted $1.9 million to jail operations and $2.2 million for the sheriff’s department. In fiscal year 2015, those numbers were increased to $1.95 million for jail operations and $2.28 million for the sheriff’s office.

“We’ve given him five new employees — four deputies and another jailer,” Kirkpatrick said. “We gave them pay raises. We’ve purchased 13 vehicles. It’s not like we’re not funding the sheriff’s office.”

Kirkpatrick also questioned whether unlimited funding and massive manpower could even have helped in the situation Sheriff Ray was responding to.

Early Tuesday morning, a Van Zandt County woman was confronted by a man trying to break into her home. She called 911, but by the time deputies arrived on the scene off Texas Highway 19, Christopher Ray Foster, 37, of Edgewood, was dead.

Deputies determined she acted in self-defense, but like similar shootings, this will be referred to a Van Zandt County grand jury. The Texas Rangers also was called in to assist in the investigation.

According to the sheriff’s office, “Foster, who had a lengthy criminal history, was recently released on a personal recognizance bond from the Van Zandt County Jail for Failure to Comply with Registration Requirements as a Sex Offender.”

Late Wednesday, Van Zandt County veterinarian Dr. Dwayne Collins responded to the sheriff’s statement by agreeing it would be nice if the county had more money to work with, but “our county is $7 million in the red.”

“Sheriff Ray is a fine law enforcement officer, but I think he’s a bit frustrated,” Collins said. “What he has done with the neighborhood watch programs is important. He has brought groups together. I think that’s helping. Sure, we could all use more money, but where does it stop? It all has to be funded.”

He added, “I do hate that the sheriff said some things that may cause a little uneasiness.”