ARLINGTON, Texas — An Arlington firefighter was shot while conducting a welfare check at an apartment complex on Friday morning, Arlington city officials confirm to WFAA.
Arlington police said it responded at approximately 12:43 a.m. to the apartment complex, located in the 400 block of Bardin Greene Drive. A resident called 911 and reported hearing children crying for an extended period of time in a neighboring apartment, calling for their mother to wake up, Arlington police said in a press release.
APD officers, Arlington Fire Department personnel, and AMR personnel went to the apartment, police said. Officers knocked on the door, announced their presence, and no one answered, police said, but they could hear children’s voices coming from inside the apartment continuing to call for their mother to wake up.
The officers continued to knock on the door and announce themselves for more than five minutes, APD said in its release. They announced themselves as police 17 times, Arlington Assistant Police Chief Tarrick McGuire said in a press conference.
“That’s when they started banging saying, ‘Hey! Hey! Open the door.’ They didn’t, and that last boom," said a resident who wanted to remain anonymous.
"Concerned that someone inside the apartment could be injured or in need of emergency medical attention, the first responders made the decision to force entry into the apartment. While AFD personnel used a breaching tool to try to pry the door open, APD officers continued to announce their presence," Arlington police said in the press release.
Shortly thereafter, a single shot was fired from inside the apartment, police said, and a firefighter was struck. The Arlington Fire Department identified the firefighter as Brady Weaver. He's been with AFD for six years. Weaver is one of two firefighters assigned to a unit that conducts welfare checks.
“I come outside. There’s tape and blood everywhere," said the resident.
Arlington police said all personnel, including Weaver, "immediately backed away from the apartment and took cover."
Officers commanded everyone inside the apartment to exit; a man, a woman, and two children came out of the apartment, according to APD. The man, who police identified as 27-year-old Demetric Brooks, was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated assault.
Brooks said he and his girlfriend were asleep and were awakened by the noise of first responders forcing entry to their home. Thinking that someone was breaking into the apartment, Brooks fired the shot through the door and told his girlfriend to call 911, McGuire said. Arlington police confirmed the girlfriend called 911, McGuire said.
“Those cops were literally out here standing 10 minutes trying to get somebody to come outside the door," said a resident. “There’s no way he could’ve not heard that.”
No additional shots were fired, and no one else was injured, police said.
The case will be sent to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office for a final decision regarding the charge.
Sources told WFAA that the firefighter went to Medical City Arlington Hospital in critical condition but was upgraded to serious but stable condition. Medical staff have indicated that Weaver was stable and alert, Chief Bret Stidham said in a press conference.
"My staff and I have had the chance to visit with Brady and his family and I'm reporting that he appears to be in good spirits. He's alert. He's speaking. He's actually eating. So those are good things. But like I said before, it's going to be a long recovery for Brady," Stidham said. "We just ask everybody for their continued prayers and thoughts.:
“I was worried about him. I prayed about him last night," said the resident. "Even at work today, I was still shaken up by the whole situation."
There are circumstances where firefighters have an option of wearing body armor according to Stidham. But even then, it's left up to the discretion of the firefighter.
The police department will also look at this case to determine if any changes are needed when it comes to how it conducts welfare checks so that what happened to Weaver doesn't happen again.