Dan Crawford

When police arrived at then-Tyler Legacy Principal Dan Crawford’s home in early June, documents state he was leaned against the back door of his residence with a red face and neck that were completely covered in blood.

He was sitting in a large pool of blood and appeared to have a large cut on the back of his head, according to the arrest affidavit. Police said the officer saw two puddles of blood across the kitchen late at night on June 2, and next to the sink the officer found a small baggie with a “white powdery substance.”

That substance was tested immediately and presumptively identified as cocaine. On June 16, results from a forensic scientist at the Texas Department of Public Safety lab in Tyler confirmed the substance was about .22 grams of cocaine, according to the affidavit.

On Monday, Crawford, 45, turned himself into the Smith County Jail after he met with detectives. He’s charged with possession of a penalty group one controlled substance in a drug-free zone. On that same day, he was released from jail on a $1,500 bond.

His home on Pinnacle Circle is within 1,000 feet of the premises of a school, which in this case is Three Lakes Middle School, that defines a drug-free zone in Texas. This offense is classified as a third-degree felony.

The state penal code states if found guilty of this offense a person could face two to 10 years in prison in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. A person found guilty could also be punished with a fine not to exceed $10,000.

When officers originally responded to assist with an EMS call just before midnight June 3, both Crawford and his wife, Jennifer, told police they didn’t know how he was injured. Crawford said he did not need assistance, according to the affidavit.

The detective on the scene noted the baggie of the white substance and Crawford’s wife said it was not hers. The officer said in his experience a baggie is a common form of storing and transporting cocaine, the affidavit read.

After EMS and the fire department arrived, the detective spoke with Crawford’s wife who said she went to Chipotle for dinner earlier in the day. She set up her food to eat on the back patio, and she claimed her husband got upset because his food was not already set up for him to start eating, the affidavit stated.

She told the police they began arguing and he started throwing things at her. She said he went into the front bedroom of the house and locked himself inside the room. She then went to the backyard and started throwing things into the yard. She said the backdoor opened and she heard her name being called from inside the residence. She came inside to find her husband on the floor covered in blood, according to the police document.

The affidavit said police observed that both Crawfords were highly intoxicated. The officer noted Crawford was intoxicated “to the point of not being able to tell where he was injured at.” He was later taken to the hospital by EMS, and the emergency medical part of the case is closed.

Jennifer Crawford, an assistant principal at the Tyler ISD Career and Technology Center, is still at her job and has not been charged in the incident.

Police searched the area around Crawford to find any reason why his head was injured. No obvious weapons or signs of impact were located around the kitchen. Police found no signs of a struggle outside.

Crawford resigned from his position on June 4, and Tyler ISD said officials accepted the resignation and officials would immediately begin filling the vacancy.

Crawford was hired as principal at Tyler Legacy High in fall 2016, after coming from Kaufman ISD. On June 7, district officials said Tyler ISD Executive Director of College and Career Gary Brown, who served as Lee principal prior to Crawford, would be the acting principal until an interim or permanent replacement is selected.