HOUSTON – The suspect in the shooting that left a Harris County Pct. 1 deputy constable injured Monday not only had criminal history in Harris County, but also in Liberty County, KPRC 2 has learned.
34-year-old Parnell Bland is currently facing two felony charges in Harris County following the shooting in downtown on Monday,
Harris County court records show Bland had six criminal convictions, three of them drug-related crimes.
In December 2023, Bland was released from Texas Department of Corrections after serving a two-year sentence for a possession of a controlled substance conviction in Liberty County.
Liberty County court records show Bland has a criminal history in the county spanning from 2016, when he pleaded guilty to a possession of marijuana charge.
Since being released from prison in 2023, court records show Bland had been arrested at least twice in Liberty County and once in Harris County, just a week before the downtown shooting incident.
The DA’s office tells KPRC Bland had possession of two handguns in Monday’s shooting.
Houston Police and the DA’s office could not comment on how Bland obtained those firearms because this is an ongoing investigation.
But KPRC spoke to Constable Alan Rosen on some common ways convicted felons could get their hands on firearms.
“One can be they can go out and burglarize a home or an automobile that has a firearm in it and they can steal the firearm. Two, you can go on social media anytime and go to Facebook Marketplace or any other places where you can go online and purchase a firearm without doing any of the paperwork,” said Rosen.
Rosen said firearm theft is common, which is why his precinct is asking the public to safely store their firearms so they don’t go in the wrong hands.
“Make sure that you lock your weapons up. Put them in a safe. Put them somewhere where they can’t be stolen,” said Rosen.
Harris County prosecutors are asking a judge to hold Bland in jail without bail.
Bland is facing felony charges of an aggravated assault against a public servant and unlawful carrying of a weapon with felony conviction.
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter
