A Travis County assistant district attorney found himself on the other side of the law following a domestic dispute that unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, June 7th. Joseph Frederick III, 51, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after an altercation with his roommate. According to jail records, Frederick was taken into custody just before 4 a.m.
The incident began after a visit from Frederick's guest at his West Austin apartment. FOX 7 Austin reports that following the guest's departure, Frederick accused his roommate of making "googly eyes" at the visitor, sparking jealousy and an escalation into insults and arguments. Trying to avoid further conflict, the roommate retreated to his bedroom and locked the door—only to have Frederick try to force it open, causing damage.
Upon opening the door later to use the bathroom, the assistant DA was allegedly seen pointing a silver revolver at his roommate. "Get away from me" and "You're a danger to yourself and everyone around you," were the words Frederick is reported to have said, as noted in an affidavit obtained by KVUE. The situation then led to Frederick entering the roommate's bedroom and closing the door behind him.
After the roommate emerged from the restroom, he found Frederick still with the weapon and confronted with the door pushing him back, the ADA is said to have pointed the revolver at his face, stating, "I'll shoot you." The roommate then began to record the encounter, capturing Frederick's actions on video. Accusing his roommate of pushing him, Frederick can be heard on the recording defensively claiming that the gun was a necessity for his own protection.
The situation did not result in any injuries, and the revolver, once recovered by the police, was found to be fully loaded. Following his arrest, Frederick posted a $10,000 bond and was released from jail on Sunday, June 9th. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office issued a brief statement regarding the matter: "Our office will be reviewing the information on the case and we do not have any further comment at this time."
