Arlington firefighter Brady Weaver was critically wounded early Friday morning during a welfare check at an apartment complex, officials confirmed. The incident, reported by WFAA, unfolded just after midnight when concerned neighbors reported the sound of children crying and pleading for their mother to wake up at the complex located on the 400 block of Bardin Greene Drive.
Prompted by distress calls, Arlington police, accompanied by the Arlington Fire Department and AMR personnel, arrived at the scene to find no response from inside the apartment. For over five minutes, officers knocked and identified themselves repeatedly before making the critical decision to enter by force, fearing for the safety of the apartment's occupants. It was during this breach that Weaver, a six-year veteran of the Arlington Fire Department, was shot, as described in WFAA's coverage, obtained by KENS5.
Upon the discharge of a sole gunshot from within the unit, all emergency personnel retreated to safety. Subsequently, a man, a woman, and two children were seen exiting the apartment; 27-year-old Demetric Brooks was detained and is now facing a charge of aggravated assault. According to CBS News, Brooks claimed the sound of the breaching startled him and his girlfriend, leading him to fire through the door under the impression of a break-in.
Weaver was immediately transported to Medical City Arlington Hospital where his condition was upgraded to serious but stable. "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," Arlington Fire Chief Bret Stidham told KENS5.
