Bryan police chief Eric Buske says a great amount of restraint was shown by the 15 officers who responded to multiple reports of fireworks Sunday night in the area of East MLK and Military.
Nine adults and one juvenile were arrested after Buske…speaking on WTAW’s The Infomaniacs…said a small number of people continued to shoot fireworks after being told multiple times to stop.
Two adults were charged with assaulting a public servant and three were charged with interfering with public duties.
Click HERE to be directed to the Bryan police department’s bodycam video from BPD’s Facebook page.
Click below for comments from Eric Buske, visiting with WTAW’s Scott DeLucia on The Infomaniacs, July 6, 2021:
Original story:
More than 15 Bryan police officers responding Sunday night to the report of more than 60 people shooting fireworks east of the downtown area resulted in ten arrests.
Some of the fireworks were fired at homes on Military Drive north of MLK, and some were fired at officers and their patrol vehicles on MLK between Military and Pierce.
According to a BPD news release, one officer sustained minor burns to their face from fireworks, one officer had someone spit in their face, and one officer sustained multiple lacerations when a subject attempted to fight them during an arrest.
Six of the nine adults who were arrested were charged with possessing fireworks.
Two were charged with assaulting a public servant.
Three were arrested with interfering with public duties.
The incident led one BPD officer to post the following on their Facebook page: “There hasn’t been a day in my nearly 20 year career where I could say that I hated my job, until July 4th, 2021. Even after the day I was shot at in 2007, I still loved my job. I have never witnessed the things I saw last night, until July 4th, 2021. My fellow officers had fireworks shot directly at us, fireworks were thrown underneath our vehicles, several of us were hit with fireworks. That black spot on my cheek is an injury from being hit in the face with a firework. People were laughing at us and telling us they hoped people would keep doing what they were doing. I have never seen such evil, until July 4th, 2021. I still can’t believe the amount of disrespect we saw tonight and not just towards us, but towards humankind. There were infants and children in the crowds while fireworks were being shot in our direction, they did not care. The amount of trash that littered the streets was unbelievable, they did not care. No respect for their neighbors or neighborhood, they did not care. It is actually quite sad the things I saw tonight. I have never hated my job until July 4th, 2021.”
News release from Bryan police:
On July 4th, 2021, the Bryan Police Department responded to multiple calls about community safety issues near East Martin Luther King Street. There were several complaints about people shooting fireworks at vehicles driving by, shooting fireworks at other people, lighting fireworks in the middle of the road, and minimal visibility due to the extreme smoke in the area due to the continuous fireworks. As officers arrived at the various calls, they were met with people shooting fireworks at them and their patrol cars. It was apparent that this was a dangerous situation for all citizens in the area.
The initial call we received was at 7:20 pm, officers were dispatched to the 1500 block of Military drive about people shooting fireworks toward houses. At 8:47 pm, officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Denise Drive due to “more than 60 people shooting fireworks at each other” and someone standing in the middle of the roadway shooting fireworks at vehicles driving by. At 10:46 pm, Dispatch received a call to the area of East Martin Luther King Street and Military Drive about possible shots being fired. At 10:57 pm, Dispatch received a call from a citizen saying that someone had shot their vehicle with a firework in the 800 block of East Martin Luther King Street. The citizen added that the firework had broken a window on their vehicle. On July 5th, at 12:07 am, we continued to receive calls about people shooting fireworks in the 900 block of East Martin Luther King Street.
Due to the hostile crowd and fireworks being shot at officers, more than 15 officers responded to the area. There were three officers injured during multiple incidents. One officer sustained minor burns to their face from fireworks, one officer had someone spit in their face, and one officer sustained multiple lacerations when a subject attempted to fight them during an arrest.
A total of ten people were arrested.
Robert Lockett, a 35-year-old Male, of Galinda Park, Texas was arrested for multiple warrants and Possession of Fireworks (City of Bryan Municipal Code 42-7).
Darrius Ellison, a 43-year-old Male, of Bryan, Texas was arrested for a warrant and Possession of Fireworks (City of Bryan Municipal Code 42-7).
Jamarcus Howard, an 18-year-old Male, of Huntsville, Texas was arrested for Possession of Fireworks (City of Bryan Municipal Code 42-7).
Sedria Fielder, a 22-year-old Female, of Bryan, Texas was arrested for Assault Public Servant, and Possession of Fireworks (City of Bryan Municipal Code 42-7).
Jasteven Craft, an 18-year-old Male, of Bryan, Texas was arrested for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Fireworks (City of Bryan Municipal Code 42-7).
Bobby Johnson, a 57-year-old Male, of Bryan, Texas was arrested for Interference with Public Duties.
Tonishia Nelson, a 34-year-old Female, of Bryan, Texas was arrested for Assault Public Servant, Resisting Arrest, and Interference with Public Duties.
Crystal Stringfellow, a 19-year-old Female, of Somerville, Texas was arrested for Interference with Public Duties.
Emond Taylor, an 18-year-old Female, of Bryan, Texas was arrested for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Fireworks (City of Bryan Municipal Code 42-7).
A Juvenile, of Bryan, Texas was arrested for Harassment of Public Servant, Obstruction or Retaliation, Resisting Arrest, and Resisting Transport.
The Bryan Police Department Administration is in the process of reviewing body camera footage and plan on releasing footage from the incident as early as tomorrow.
