Wharton man rams, shoots at pickup
By BARRY HALVORSON news@leader-news.com

A Wharton man's efforts to run another man off the road late last Saturday night resulted in his being arrested on four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Kenneth Sean Watson, 36, of 803 Lily Lane was released from jail after posting $65,000 bail the next morning on the assault charges, and charges of misdemeanor assault and unlawfully carrying a weapon.

The chase started just after 11 p.m. Nov. 3 when Phillip Johnson, 38, of Deer Park was dropping off his son after a visit, according to a sheriff's office report. Watson confronted Johnson, reportedly hitting him in the face. When Johnson left the scene in his 1995 Chevrolet pickup, Watson gave chase in his 2000 Ford pickup.

During the chase, Watson allegedly used his truck to ram Johnson's vehicle at least two times and also fired a gun, apparently hitting nothing, according Sheriff's Department Lt. Danny Marek.

Johnson reportedly spotted a Wharton Police unit in the 2000 block of Junior College Blvd. and drove toward it. At the same time, Watson lost control of his vehicle and stopped in a ditch.

He was taken into custody at the scene by Wharton Police Officer Don Chaney at 11:32 p.m. Chaney was assisted at the scene by Deputy C.J. Savino. A search of the area located a handgun near Watson's vehicle, investigators said.