houston county
Screenshot/Houston County Sherrif's Office

A Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer, unlawfully carrying a weapon, criminal trespass, and deadly conduct after authorities say he fired dozens of rounds into the air right outside a Texas sheriff's office this weekend.

The incident unfolded early Saturday morning at the Houston County Sheriff's Office in Crockett. Clifford Heniser, a 34-year-old man from Lovelady, Texas, first entered the lobby at around 7 a.m., claiming he was a federal agent who wanted to inspect records. A dispatcher told him a deputy was on the way, so Heniser left—only to come back moments later armed with an AR-15 rifle.

Dispatchers, who were hiding under desks and calling for backup, said Heniser attempted to communicate with them before stepping outside and firing roughly 30 rounds into the air, as seen in a surveillance video shared by the sheriff's office.

Shortly afterward, two Crockett police officers and a Texas Highway Patrol Trooper arrived, confronted Heniser, and ordered him to put down his rifle. Heniser complied and was arrested. Authorities later found an additional firearm, two magazines, and between 300 and 500 rounds of ammunition in his truck.

Investigators discovered this wasn't Heniser's first run-in at the sheriff's office—he had been arrested there just two days earlier for disorderly conduct, per local news outlet KHOU.

The Crockett Police Department is leading the ongoing investigation, supported by the ATF and FBI.

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