It has been confirmed that a man who died following a pursuit by Williamson County authorities Thursday afternoon near Florence died by his own hand and had a pending court date on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Thirty-nine-year-old Alva Joe Gwinn had been arrested in June 2016 and indicted by a Bell County Grand Jury August 17, 2016 on the child sex assault charges.

His trial had been set for November 6.

Gwinn had been the subject of  a Williamson County pursuit after deputies had been dispatched to make a welfare check on him.

His vehicle had been disabled between Florence and the Bell County line and he fled on foot.

The Department of Public Safety reports that Gwinn had pointed a handgun at officers and that a shot had been fired at him.

Investigators later determined that he had died as a result of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Texas Rangers are continuing to look into the incident.

Gwinn had been a Master Sergeant in the army with a home of record listed as Richwood, West Virginia.

He had entered active duty military service in September 1999 as a combat engineer and was assigned to the 20th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, Fort Hood, since April 2012.

Gwinn deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from January to August 2003, from April to December 2004, from March 2010 to March 2011 and from March to November 2013.

He also deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from November 2005 to November 2006.

Gwinn’s awards and decorations include a Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, four Army Commendation Medals, Navy Commendation Medal, seven Army Achievement Medals, five Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with three campaign stars, Iraq Campaign Medal with one campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, two Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbons, Army Service Ribbon, five Overseas Service Ribbons, NATO Medal, Combat Action Badge, Parachute Badge, Driver and Mechanics Badge, Marine Qualification Badge Expert-Rifle and Sapper Badge.