By Texarkana Online | August 9, 2026
MALTA, Texas — A New Boston man is dead after he stabbed and assaulted two women Saturday morning, prompting an officer-involved shooting that ended a violent chain of events on a rural Bowie County road.
Kenneth Eugene Jordan, 48, of New Boston, was identified as the suspect in two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began at approximately 9:33 a.m. on County Road 3103, near the intersection of U.S. Highway 82. Jordan stabbed one woman and assaulted another at a home on the property. One of the victims fled to a neighboring residence, but Jordan pursued her on foot.
The homeowner, hearing the commotion, armed himself and held Jordan at gunpoint until law enforcement arrived. The Bowie County Sheriff’s Office credited the neighbor’s intervention with saving the victim’s life.
“It was apparent that Kenneth Jordan intended to kill her and probably would have been successful had this citizen not stepped in,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
Multiple Agencies Respond
Deputies from the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office responded alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety, the New Boston Police Department, and the Hooks Police Department. When officers encountered Jordan, he was still armed with a knife.
Deputies deployed Tasers on two separate occasions without gaining compliance. An OC pepper-ball gun was also used without success. Jordan then turned toward a New Boston Police Department K9 and its handler, at which point a Hooks Police Department officer fired on him.
Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful. Jordan was pronounced dead at the scene.
Victim Airlifted, Expected to Survive
One of the victims sustained severe injuries and required helicopter transport for medical care. The sheriff’s office reported that her condition has improved and she is expected to survive. The condition of the second victim has not been released.
Investigations Underway
The Texas Department of Public Safety Ranger Division has been contacted and is investigating the officer-involved shooting, as is standard protocol. The Bowie County Sheriff’s Office is separately investigating the aggravated assaults that led to the law enforcement response.
Justice of the Peace Catie Hawkins responded to the scene and ordered an autopsy. Jordan’s body has been transported to the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas.
No motive for the attacks has been identified, according to the sheriff’s office.