- Police say a man in Arizona blocked a
National Guard convoy and held 11 soldiers at gunpoint Monday. - The convoy was transporting COVID-19 vaccines but officials don't think the man was after the doses.
- Larry Harris told officers he thought the soldiers had kidnapped a woman and child.
A shipment of COVID-19 vaccines and the National Guardsman delivering them arrived safely to their
Officials say Larry Harris, a 66-year-old man in Arizona, is accused of following and ambushing a convoy of National Guardsmen transporting COVID-19 vaccines to Matador, Texas, Monday morning.
Harris began following the convoy at a gas station in Lubbock, Texas, and tried to run them off the road multiple times before turning his own vehicle into oncoming traffic and cutting off three National Guard vans near Idalou, NBC News reported.
Idalou police Chief Eric Williams told the outlet Harris then approached the guardsmen, pointed a gun at them, and identified himself as a detective. He reportedly ordered the soldiers to exit their vehicles and demanded to search the vans.
Idalou Police and deputies from the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene and were able to arrest Harris without further incident, according to ABC News. Harris had three loaded guns in his possession when he was arrested, the outlet reported.
None of the guardsmen were injured and the vaccines reached their final destination, albeit, later than expected.
"I am amazed that this did not turn into a very bad situation, because he was standing in the midst of these guardsmen, with a loaded handgun, plenty of ammunition, to cause a lot of havoc," Williams told NBC. "And for whatever reason he decided to put the gun in his pants when he saw the officers arriving."
Officials told media outlets they don't believe Harris was after the vaccines being transported. He reportedly told officers he thought the guards in uniform had kidnapped a woman and child
"He just appeared to be mentally erratic," Williams told NBC.
Harris faces a number of charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful restraint of 11 National Guard members, impersonating a public servant, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and interference with Texas military forces, according to ABC.
NBC reported the US Department of Homeland Security is involved with the investigation and that Harris could face additional federal charges in the case.