CHL holder arrested in shooting incident

[Commander]

Council member jailed in parking lot shooting

Glenn Heights: Man, 32, wounded in face; suspect calls it accident

07:00 AM CDT on Friday, August 25, 2006

By HOLLY YAN and HERB BOOTH / The Dallas Morning News

A Glenn Heights City Council member was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon early Thursday after admitting to police that he shot a man in the face, authorities said.

Tony Ray Brown, 47, was taken into custody about 1 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 9900 block of Whitehurst Drive in Lake Highlands. He was being held at Lew Sterrett Justice Center on Thursday in lieu of $75,000 bail. Mr. Brown also was being held on two outstanding warrants out of Ellis County accusing him of tampering with a government record and theft of property by check.

According to a Dallas police report, Mr. Brown and 32-year-old Luis Rosales were in the Lake Highlands apartment parking lot about 12:30 a.m. Mr. Brown "had a Keltec .32-caliber automatic pistol and shot [Mr. Rosales] once in the face," the police report states. Mr. Rosales "was struck in the jaw and suffered significant injury." The report also states Mr. Brown admitted to shooting Mr. Rosales. Mr. Rosales was taken to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas and could not be reached for comment. Hospital officials did not release his condition.

In an interview at the jail Thursday, Mr. Brown said the shooting was an accident. Mr. Brown said he was visiting friends at the apartment complex. He said he believes Mr. Rosales is an ex-boyfriend of one of the people he was visiting but he isn't sure. At some point, Mr. Brown said, he was carrying his gun between his truck and an apartment when Mr. Rosales "tried to get it out of my hands and it went off and shot him." Mr. Brown offered no explanation for why Mr. Rosales tried to grab his weapon but said there was a lot of "horseplay" at the time. After the shooting, Mr. Brown said, he grabbed Mr. Rosales and said, "Oh my God. Oh my God."

Dallas police Sgt. R.T. Smith declined to answer questions about the shooting. "I'm not going to say anything about the case. I don't want to compromise the investigation," said Sgt. Smith, a supervisor in the assaults unit.

Thursday's incident wasn't Mr. Brown's first run-in with the law. Earlier this year, residents demanded Mr. Brown's resignation after he was arrested on charges of tampering with a government document and interfering with an investigation into abuse or neglect. Glenn Heights police Detective Kevon Howard said police sent in paperwork this year asking the state to revoke Mr. Brown's concealed handgun license. He said the state has not responded.

Some of Mr. Brown's colleagues on the City Council said they are fed up with him. "Before I was elected in May, I asked for his resignation," council member Malinda Holley said. "And others have, too. He needs to resign. The council and the city shouldn't be held hostage by him or his personal problems." Ms. Holley said that according to the city charter, the council can't remove a colleague unless he or she is convicted of a felony. "It's obvious he has had some problems," Ms. Holley said. "He hasn't shown up at many meetings since May."

City records indicate Mr. Brown has attended four of 10 council meetings since May. Mr. Brown said that he has missed meetings because of ongoing problems from a 1986 auto accident and that he was released from the hospital about 10 days ago. He added that he is unsure whether he will keep his council seat in Glenn Heights, which straddles the Dallas-Ellis county line.

Mr. Brown's arrest comes a week after Glenn Heights Mayor Alvin DuBois resigned after a dispute with City Manager Georgia Vines and after Glenn Heights police accused him of tampering with a document. Ms. Vines first accused Mr. DuBois of verbally harassing her – an allegation he admitted – and then she accused him of disregarding the city charter. She outlined incidents in which Mr. DuBois had given direct instructions to rank-and-file city employees in the utilities, human resources and police departments, a violation of the city charter.

The City Council accepted Mr. DuBois' resignation at Monday night's meeting.

E-mail hyan@dallasnews.com

[seamusTX]

What a moron. People like this are the reason "gun control" laws were enacted in the first place.

- Jim

[Diode]

What a moron. People like this are the reason "gun control" laws were enacted in the first place.

- Jim

I don't get it, how in the world can you be "Playing" or horseing around with a gun? Sheesh

[Madsmiley]

Whats wrong with this picture???

A Glenn Heights City Council member was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon early Thursday after admitting to police that he shot a man in the face, authorities said


Tony Ray Brown, 47, was taken into custody about 1 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 9900 block of Whitehurst Drive in Lake Highlands. He was being held at Lew Sterrett Justice Center on Thursday in lieu of $75,000 bail. Mr. Brown also was being held on two outstanding warrants out of Ellis County accusing him of tampering with a government record and theft of property by check.

[Jfreeman]

I saw him on the news and he looked like someone who did not need a CHL or gun.

[MrDrummy]

Just some more ammo for the anti's.

[Madsmiley]

Its been a few years since my CHL class so maybe someone can refresh my memory..Isnt your CHL supposed to get revoked once you get a warrant or get arrested??

[Mithras61]

I saw him on the news and he looked like someone who did not need a CHL or gun.

Here's a picture from the story:



Here's one version of the story:
http://www.focus-news.com/front1.shtml

Looks like he's previously been accused of taking methamphetamine and of intimidating various people, including city employees, a Child Protective Services worker and his ex-wife. A recall petition was circulated in July 2005...

[txinvestigator]

I saw him on the news and he looked like someone who did not need a CHL or gun.

Yeah, lets have DPS screen the application pictures and deny anyone who looks like they don't need a chl or a gun.

[Madsmiley]

I saw him on the news and he looked like someone who did not need a CHL or gun.

Here's a picture from the story:



Here's one version of the story:
http://www.focus-news.com/front1.shtml

Looks like he's previously been accused of taking methamphetamine and of intimidating various people, including city employees, a Child Protective Services worker and his ex-wife. A recall petition was circulated in July 2005...

And he was on the city council???amazing...

[Jfreeman]

I saw him on the news and he looked like someone who did not need a CHL or gun.

Yeah, lets have DPS screen the application pictures and deny anyone who looks like they don't need a chl or a gun.

I was not basing my opinion on his looks but on his actual appearance on TV and looking all crazy and on top of that he sounded like he was wasted. He looked a little more "whacked" out during the interview than he does in that photo.

Who knows, maybe shooting someone in the face will do that to you.

[txinvestigator]

I saw him on the news and he looked like someone who did not need a CHL or gun.

Yeah, lets have DPS screen the application pictures and deny anyone who looks like they don't need a chl or a gun.

I was not basing my opinion on his looks but on his actual appearance on TV and looking all crazy and on top of that he sounded like he was wasted. He looked a little more "whacked" out during the interview than he does in that photo.

Who knows, maybe shooting someone in the face will do that to you.

You are contradicting yourself.

I was not basing my opinion on his looks but on his actual appearance on TV and looking all crazy

.


Are you referring to his behavior?

[KBCraig]

Its been a few years since my CHL class so maybe someone can refresh my memory..Isnt your CHL supposed to get revoked once you get a warrant or get arrested??

It's supposed to be suspended (not revoked) upon indictment for any felony, or a weapon-related misdemeanor. From the news articles, it wasn't clear if the two warrants were misdemeanors or felonies.

Revocation doesn't happen until conviction.

I should point out that, CHL or not, it's a federal felony to possess a firearm while under felony indictment.

Kevin

[phddan]

Wow
I wonder just how fast my license would have been pulled, if the police had
requested the state to pull mine?

Dan

[Jfreeman]

I saw him on the news and he looked like someone who did not need a CHL or gun.

Yeah, lets have DPS screen the application pictures and deny anyone who looks like they don't need a chl or a gun.

I was not basing my opinion on his looks but on his actual appearance on TV and looking all crazy and on top of that he sounded like he was wasted. He looked a little more "whacked" out during the interview than he does in that photo.

Who knows, maybe shooting someone in the face will do that to you.

You are contradicting yourself.

I was not basing my opinion on his looks but on his actual appearance on TV and looking all crazy

.


Are you referring to his behavior?

Yes that is what I should have said. Sorry I was trying to type in the middle of 10 other things at work and I did not take the time to think about what I was saying.