ELLIS COUNTY, Texas - An Ellis County jury has sentenced Jakobi Romone Walker of Venus to five years in prison after convicting him of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon stemming from an armed confrontation inside a Midlothian assisted living facility.
Ellis County and District Attorney Lindy Beaty announced the sentence was imposed Thursday, January 15, 2026. The conviction followed a March 2, 2025, incident in which Walker entered the facility during a late-night shift change and threatened employees while brandishing a firearm.
According to prosecutors, Walker arrived at the assisted living center around 9:30 p.m. and pointed a gun at multiple staff members, threatening to shoot everyone inside the building. At the time, residents were asleep in their rooms and no staff members were physically injured.
An officer with the Midlothian Police Department arrived within two minutes of the initial call. Officer Rudy Hille confronted Walker in the lobby, disarmed him, and took him into custody without further incident.
Investigators later determined the confrontation was fueled by a personal dispute. Walker had been dating an employee at the facility and became enraged after learning another staff member had told his girlfriend that he was allegedly attempting to pursue a relationship with a coworker. Prosecutors said Walker went to the facility intending to confront that employee.
During sentencing, Walker asked the jury for probation, citing his lack of prior criminal history. Jurors instead imposed a five-year prison term, weighing the seriousness of the threats, the danger posed to staff and vulnerable elderly residents, and evidence that Walker had refused prescribed medication for a mental illness.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant County and District Attorneys Garett Smith and Sherry Roeder, with assistance from investigators Edwin Gibson and Lena Aguayo.
“This case is a shining example of the bravery law enforcement officers have to exhibit on a daily basis,” Smith said. “Without hesitation and with no other officers present, Officer Hille ran into a facility occupied by the most vulnerable in our society and confronted an armed individual before he had an opportunity to act on his threats.”
