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| Bryan Police Officer Bill Cross Photo Credit |
An Update to a story that we featured last month.
A grand jury in Brazos County declined to indict Bryan Police Officer Bill Cross, who shot two men during a confrontation last month on a street corner in North Bryan. However, Cross remains under an internal investigation by the Bryan Police Department.
Relatives and supporters of Johnnie Walton Harris Jr., one of the men shot by the officer, were disappointed by the panel's "no bill" decision.
Cross was responding to a suspicious person call near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Texas Avenue on May 6 when he shot 20-year-old Harris "multiple times" after Harris attempted to grab the officer's weapon, police said.
Harris' mother, Janice Walton, and grandmother, Betty Sims, were standing yards away from Harris when he was shot and also gave statements. During interviews with The Eagle, the pair said they understood Harris wasn't obeying the Cross' orders that day but they didn't believe the officer had any reason to shoot him.
Juan Garcia, an 18-year-old construction worker who happened to be standing about a block away, also was hit by a bullet.
Specific details of the shooting are still being withheld by police pending completion of their internal investigation, which will determine if administrative action is necessary regarding Cross' employment.
Pastor J.C. Ebbs owns a clothing store near the scene of the incident and said he was "shocked" to find out Cross wasn't facing criminal charges.
"Justice was not served," he said. "It's just a black eye to the Bryan Police Department. It's hurtful, it's horrible and it's harmful to the city of Bryan."
Councilman Paul Madison, who represents District 2, where the shooting occurred, also has concerns.
"I find it very strange we that we have not had a report from the Bryan Police Department," he said, adding that he did understand that little could be disclosed as investigations were still ongoing.
But once police complete their internal investigation, details surrounding the shooting need to be released, Madison said
"I think it's imperative we be transparent about what occurred," he said. "At some point, information has to flow freely to the public."
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