Members were sent home Tuesday without working. That is after a homeless man admitted to biting a Bryan police officer last May…drawing blood…then telling the officer he had an infectious disease.
44 year old Jay Aull and the district attorney’s office reached a plea agreement on a charge of assaulting a peace officer.
Aull, who received a four year prison sentence, could have received up to 20 years for the second degree felony.
Prosecutors say the officer underwent several months of preventative medical care to ensure that he did not contract any disease.
The officer who was bit had responded to a store in the Tejas Center, where Aull was harrassing customers.
Prosecutors say Aull’s criminal history includes a conviction for obstructing a police officer in Colorado and violating a protection order in Kentucky.
News release from the Brazos County district attorney’s office:
On Tuesday, February 14, 2022, Jay Aull plead guilty to Assault on a Peace Officer and was sentenced to four years in prison by Judge David Hilburn. Aull’s plea came after a jury was selected in the case late Monday afternoon.
On May 31, 2022, Bryan Police were called to the Tejas Center in Bryan, TX after a store clerk reported that the defendant was at her business harassing customers and making threats towards her. An officer responded to the scene and found the defendant, who was intoxicated outside the store.
The officer attempted to issue the defendant a criminal trespass warning. During the attempt, the defendant became aggressive and combative towards the officer. The defendant then tried to leave the scene after the officer told him to stay there so he could issue the defendant a criminal trespass warning.
The officer restrained the defendant so he could avoid escaping. After the officer restrained the defendant on the ground, the defendant bit the officer’s arm, breaking through his skin and drawing blood. Ultimately, multiple officers were required to subdue the defendant, who continued to be threatening and aggressive towards officers.
After the assault, the defendant told the officer he just bit that he had an infectious blood disease. As a result, the officer had to seek months of preventative medical care to ensure that he did not contract any disease.
Assistant district attorneys Yasmeen Aboellhassan and Jessica Escue issued the following statement: “Officers put their life on the line everyday to protect us. When a defendant disregards the lawful orders and efforts of a police officer and then not only harms them but does so in a way that could have lifelong implications, we must protect everyone from them.”