
News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
The City of College Station released a statement in response to a lawsuit filed this week in connection to the February 2023 police shooting of 22 year-old Mark Hopkins. The federal lawsuit was filed in Houston by Hopkins’ parents and his girlfriend at the time, Alyssa Wilson, who was in the home when the warrant was served. In October 2023, the parents filed a motion in Brazos County district court in an attempt to get more information from CSPD. Statement from the City of College Station: The City of College Station will vigorously defend all its officers’ actions alleged in the complaint. The filing of this complaint is the first communication the City has had from the Hopkins family or their attorneys in over a year. The City still maintains that the affidavit and warrant were executed and presented correctly on Feb. 8, 2023, based on a lengthy narcotics investigation regarding Abraham Escobar, a known drug dealer later indicted on two counts of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity and two counts of Manufacturing and Delivering, among other charges related to the investigation. Escobar was in a dating relationship with Lauren Decoux, who shared the home at 925 Spring Loop with Mark Hopkins. Escobar had unfettered access and was repeatedly observed at the residence during the investigation. Mr. Hopkins was not a criminal suspect in the investigation. However, probable cause affidavits and warrants identify all occupants of a suspected location, and Mr. Hopkins was a resident at 925 Spring Loop, where Escobar frequently visited Ms. Decoux while dealing and transporting narcotics. Based on valid probable cause, a judge approved and signed the knock-and-announce warrant, and the College Station Police Department conducted a legal warrant service under established policies and procedures. During the warrant service, the officers repeatedly and loudly stated, “Police search warrant,” before breaching the door and again upon entering the residence before Mr. Hopkins opened fire on the officers. Marked patrol units outside also had red and blue emergency flashing lights, and an officer in a marked patrol unit announced several times on a loudspeaker that the police department was serving a warrant. Chief Couch immediately requested that the Texas Rangers begin a thorough, independent, and unbiased investigation. The Texas Rangers, the Brazos County district attorney, and the Brazos County grand jury all found no wrongdoing on the part of the officers. The City has full confidence in those findings. Our sympathies remain for the Hopkins family and everyone involved. Original story, October 9, 2023: The parents of a College Station man who was shot and killed by a College Station policeman in February 2023 take the city of College Station to Brazos County district court in an attempt to get more information. The lawyers representing the parents have also hired a public relations firm. Their representative issued a release saying Mark Norris was killed “in an explosive, military-style raid based on a “glaringly false” (search) warrant.” The district court action, according to the P.R. firm, sued the City of College Station “to force an end to the city’s continuing coverup in the case”. The court filing says CSPD has provided the parents only highly edited body camera video showing officers executing a search warrant that led to what they described as a “hail of bullets” resulting in Hopkins being killed in his bedroom. The court filing also says Hopkins and his girlfriend did not participate in any illegal activities. But on the application to get the search warrant, they were listed as “suspicious parties”. The target of the search warrant was the boyfriend of Hopkins female roommate. The court filing also mentions that the CSPD officer who shot and killed Hopkins was not indicted by a grand jury. A statement from the city of College Station says in part that the city “disagrees strongly with the statements made by the family’s attorney. The City has met and worked with the family’s attorney while complying with the law, has cooperated with the family, and has offered to meet directly with them. The City will respond accordingly to the petition to investigate the claim before a suit is filed”.
The Texas A&M System Board of Regents authorized Texas A&M President Mark Welsh to negotiate a contract with AEGIS Aerospace, which would allow Aggie engineering students to conduct in-space experiments. According to a system news release, the AEGIS agreement would create the Texas A&M/ AEGIS Aerospace Multi-Use Space Platform Integrating Research & Innovative Technology facility, or TAMU-SPIRIT. Aegis is a commercial space and lunar exploration company headquartered in Houston. Research activities would include in-space research, testing, advanced materials manufacturing, robotics testing, space surveillance and tracking methodologies. Researchers would also have exclusive priority rights to send samples and experiments to be installed on the research platform. News release from Texas A&M University System: Texas A&M University is targeting a long-term commitment to in-space research on the International Space Station under a proposal approved today by the Texas A&M University System’s Board of Regents. The Board authorized President Mark A. Welsh III to negotiate a contract with AEGIS Aerospace, which would allow Aggie engineering students to conduct in-space experiments. In other action, the Regents approved more than $239 million in construction projects across the state and named a chief auditor for the A&M System. “The Texas A&M System is making major investments into the future of Texas today,” said Chancellor John Sharp. “All of these projects align with our commitment to providing high-quality educational experiences and responding to the needs of Texas residents.” The AEGIS agreement would create the Texas A&M/ AEGIS Aerospace Multi-Use Space Platform Integrating Research & Innovative Technology facility, or TAMU-SPIRIT. The research platform would be dedicated to activities such as in-space research, testing, advanced materials manufacturing, robotics testing, space surveillance and tracking methodologies. Researchers from the Texas A&M University System will have exclusive priority rights to send samples and experiments to be installed on the research platform. Aegis is a commercial space and lunar exploration company headquartered in Houston. It will build, own and operate the research platform, and will partner with Texas A&M for the development, assembly and operation of the platform. “As a space-grant university, Texas A&M has led the way in space research and exploration for decades,” said General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University. “Now, thanks to our partnership with Aegis Aerospace and support from Chancellor Sharp and The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the TAMU-SPIRIT Flight Facility will pave the way for Aggie researchers to push the boundaries of space innovation. Our research is already out of this world; it’s fitting that we’re making it official.” Dr. Robert H. Bishop, vice chancellor and dean of Texas A&M Engineering, agreed. “The TAMU-SPIRIT facility will allow Texas A&M researchers and students to make a lasting impact across disciplines,” Bishop said. “With a presence on the ISS, Texas A&M will continue to be a leader in space research.” The Board also voted to approve more than $239 million in construction across the state: A $28.3 million Player Development Center at Blue Bell Park for Texas A&M University. This facility will enhance player amenities for the baseball program, supporting recruitment efforts and improving the overall experience for student-athletes. Pre-construction services are set to commence in FY 2025. $80 million for Student Housing Phase III and Dining Project at Texas A&M University-San Antonio. This project will add 300 new student beds and a dining facility, increasing on-campus housing capacity and providing improved meal options to keep up with explosive student enrollment at this rapidly growing south San Antonio campus. $27 million for the South Texas Workforce Development Project at the Port of Brownsville. This new Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service facility will focus on advanced manufacturing training to prepare the local workforce for in-demand jobs, supporting economic growth across the Rio Grande Valley. Construction is set to begin in April 2025. $40.6 million Teaching & Academic Student Support Services Facility at Prairie View A&M University. This new facility will centralize academic support services, enhancing student access to resources such as tutoring and career services. The project is designed to support student engagement and success, with construction starting in February 2025. $63.4 million Event Center/Arena Project at East Texas A&M University. This modern multi-use arena will serve as a venue for intercollegiate sports and community events, increasing campus visibility and engagement. Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2025. Finally, the Board promoted Amanda Dotson, currently director for the System Internal Audit Department, to Chief Auditor. She replaces Charlie Hrncir who retired last month. Dotson has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M – Texarkana. Prior to joining the System Internal Audit Department as a director in October of 2015, Amanda previously worked for Texas A&M Transportation Institute for three years as Assistant CFO and Senior Manager of Financial Reporting; the Texas A&M System Office of Budgets and Accounting for two years as a Senior Manager of Financial Reporting; and the Texas A&M System Internal Audit Department for eight years as an Audit Manager. Amanda is a C.P.A., C.I.A., and a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development Program. About The Texas A&M University System The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $7.3 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities, a comprehensive health science center, eight state agencies, Texas A&M-Fort Worth and Texas A&M-RELLIS, the Texas A&M System educates more than 157,000 students and makes more than 21 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceed $1.5 billion and help drive the state’s economy.
A Bryan man was arrested early Friday morning for murdering his wife. According to a Bryan Police Department news release, the suspect called 911 at 12:40 a.m. to report he had just shot and killed his wife. Officers arrived at the home in the 500 block of E 18th Street, detained the suspect, and found the victim who was dead from apparent gunshot wounds. The victim was identified as Alexis Walls of Bryan. 29 year-old Brandon Dickerson is jailed on a $300,000 for the murder charge.
Bryan Broadcasting Corporation