Former deputy indicted in church shooting

A former Somervell County sheriff’s deputy will face trial for shooting up a church in Ovilla, south of Dallas.

In July, 27-year-old William Cox confessed to officers he was upset over the police ambush, got very drunk and had to let off stress. His stress relief was to fire guns in a residential neighborhood in the parking lot of the Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Cox lost his job after the incident, but the Ellis County sheriff used his discretion and decided not to bring charges.

Ellis County District Attorney Patrick Wilson said it didn’t seem right. He presented the case to the grand jury out of concern that favoritism may have been shown to Cox.

“We and I personally just demanded that this case be treated like every other case in the system and that it be reviewed like every other case in the system. That had not happened prior to my office picking up the mantle and that has now happened,” he said.

The grand jury indicted him on a charge of deadly conduct.