A Brazos County grand jury is taking no criminal action against a Bryan policeman who shot a man on February 12th.
District attorney Jarvis Parsons issued a statement Tuesday that the grand jury concluded its review of evidence from his office along with Bryan police and the Texas Rangers.
Bryan police has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday afternoon to issue a statement in response to the grand jury’s decision involving Officer Steven Laughlin’s shooting of Calvin Baker.
BPD also announced Laughlin has returned to full duty and the department has completed all its investigations.
Laughlin was among the officers responding to a 9-1-1 call of a disturbance at the home of Baker’s ex-girlfriend, who reported Baker was not supposed to be there.
According to the DA’s news release, video from body cameras and eyewitness statements indicated Baker repeatedly refused Laughlin’s requests to remove his right hand from his pocket and show his hands.
Parsons says Baker became “more aggressive in his mannerisms”, and Baker repeatedly asked the officer “Are you ready?”
The DA stated Baker walked behind a police vehicle, intentionally ducks out of the officer’s view, then reappeared “with his hand coming out of his pocket very quickly and pointing what appeared to be an object at the officer.”
Parsons says the officer continued “to tell Mr. Baker to show his hands again to which Mr. Baker replies, ‘No. You ready?’ ”
The DA stated after the officer ordered Baker to drop what was in his hands, Baker said “I ain’t dropping nothing.”
Parsons says “the body camera footage captures Calvin Baker pulling a black object from his back pocket and attempting to point the object at the officer. Officer Laughlin then fires multiple shots at Baker, wounding him.”
The DA’s office says no criminal charges are pending against Baker, who has been released from the hospital.
Click HERE to read and download the news release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office.