Blue Ridge man shot by police had registered sex offender status

12-31-2010 Texas:

The man who died in a shootout with sheriff's deputies on Tuesday had a residency status as a registered sex offender.

Collin County Sheriff's Office officials confirmed the identity of 34-year-old David Thomas Christoffel as the man who was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies following a nine-hour standoff at his home north of Blue Ridge.

Collin County dispatchers received a call from the home at 12:36 a.m. Tuesday from someone who identified herself as Christoffel's "ex." She told dispatchers the subject was threatening to have a shoot out with sheriff's deputies and "to watch the news because he is going to watching her from heaven and to give his love to the kids."

Deputies responded to the home and reported several shots fired from an assault rifle, which they later identified as an AK-47 with approximately 150 rounds of ammunition. They were unable to locate the suspect and asked for additional support for a tactical team and a police negotiator, according to Collin County dispatch reports.

Christoffel asked to speak a captain with the sheriff's office and ask to call his ex-wife and let him know that deputies had arrived at the house. He also told the negotiator "he has cameras around his house and will shoot deputies if they get out of their car."

Deputies also learned a 3-year-old and 11-year-old were in the home "scared and hiding under the bed," according to dispatch reports.

Negotiations continued between Christoffel and sheriff's deputies during which he held himself hostage and threatened to open fire on the responding officers. Deputies eventually made contact with the suspect's mother who said he had psychological problems and that "he is in fear of his life because of being (a) registered sex offender."

The county's "Offender Watch" database confirmed Christoffel's status. Christoffel was convicted in 1995 of a second-degree felony charge of indecency with a child. The address of the shootout is listed as his official residence in the database. His case file could not be obtained from the Collin County Courthouse because of a software upgrade.

Sheriff's deputies also learned that his ex-wife worked as a dispatcher in Hunt County for the local sheriff's office. Chrisoffel tried to contact the Hunt County sheriff several times but never spoke with him directly.

"Apparently this is all over his ex-wife that is a Hunt County dispatcher," the dispatch report read.

Christoffel gave deputies an indication that he would surrender himself to authorities at 9:22 a.m., but an exchange of gunfire between Christoffel and deputies ended with a call to the Medical Examiner's Office. A representative declared Christoffel dead at the scene. None of the deputies involved in the incident were injured as a result of the exchange of gunfire.

Lt. John Norton of the Collin County Sheriff's Office said the Texas Rangers are still investigating the incident.

Attempts were made to reach the suspect's family members, but they could not be located by presstime. ..Source.. by Danny Gallagher