Arlington firefighter shot in chest, seriously injured during welfare check identified

The Arlington fire chief identified a firefighter who was shot in the chest Friday morning during a welfare check call as Brady Weaver, who is hospitalized in critical condition but is alert and in “good spirits.”

Arlington police, firefighters and medics responded just before 12:45 a.m. to the Bardin Greene Apartments, on East Bardin Road, to conduct a welfare check. A resident called 911 and reported hearing children in a neighboring apartment crying and asking for their mother to wake up, police said in a news release.

Officers knocked on the door, rang a doorbell that had a home surveillance camera, and announced their presence multiple times, police said. No one answered the door, but the first responders could hear children’s voices coming from inside the apartment, calling for their mother to wake up.

The officers continued to knock and announce themselves for more than five minutes, police said.

“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,” the release states. “While AFD personnel used a breaching tool to try to pry the door open, APD officers continued to announce their presence.”

A short time later, a single shot was fired from inside the apartment through the door, police said. The bullet struck Weaver, police said.

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Everyone immediately backed away from the apartment and took cover, the release says. Weaver was able to retreat from the apartment on his own.

Weaver was taken to Medical City Arlington hospital, and was in critical but stable condition Friday afternoon.

No additional shots were fired, and no one else was injured, police said.

Officers gave commands for everyone inside the apartment to come outside. A man, woman and two children came out of the apartment. The man, who police believe is the shooter, has been arrested and was being questioned by detectives.

Police said the man told them that he and his girlfriend were asleep and they woke to the sounds of firefighters trying to breach the door. The man told investigators he thought someone was trying to break in and he fired his gun and told his girlfriend to call 911. Police confirmed that the woman did call 911 after the shot was fired.

Investigators will consult with the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against the man in connection to the shooting. Police said he was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as unrelated warrants from two other cities. Jail records identify the man as Demetric Brooks and show he is being held on warrants out of Grand Prairie and Haltom City.

Arlington police weren’t aware Friday of any previous calls to Brooks’ apartment.

The responding officers and firefighters had no information about a weapon in the apartment at the time they responded to the call, Assistant Police Chief Tarrick McGuire said at a Friday afternoon news conference.

The first responders announced themselves a total of 17 times, police said.

Arlington Fire Chief Bret Stidham said he visited with Weaver and his family at the hospital, where Weaver was able to speak and eat. Weaver has been with the department for about six years and works out of Station 9.

Weaver’s recovery will take a long time, but “I’m incredibly relieved to report that his prognosis is trending in a positive direction,” Stidham said at the afternoon news conference. He and police asked for prayers for Weaver and his family.

“Brady’s an awesome firefighter,” Stidham said. “He’s funny, a character. I love that about him. ... We have to have that spunkiness to us. It is a serious job. Each and every time we go out on a call, we don’t know what to expect, and we may not come home from those calls.”

Firefighters often respond to welfare checks, sometimes alone, and sometimes with police and EMS, Stidham said. In this case, Weaver was part of a two-person team from the fire department who responded along with other personnel.

Arlington firefighters have access to bullet-proof vests but are only required to wear them in certain situations like an active shooter call, the fire chief said. In this case, they didn’t feel they were in danger and chose not to wear the vests, Stidham said.

The fire chief said he believes everyone on scene did a great job in their response to the call and the shooting was “just a terrible outcome for us.”

“Our training doesn’t change,” Stidham said. “We try to prepare for every single thing that we could run into every single day. As the world changes, we try to evolve with our training.”

Having someone shoot at you is not something you expect when you’re trying to breach a door, said Jimmy Studer, president of the Arlington firefighters’ union.

“We’re firefighters for a reason. Cops dodge bullets, we dodge fires,” he said.

Studer expressed his gratitude for the outpouring of support from other departments including those in Fort Worth, Dallas and Grand Prairie.

“It’s a huge brotherhood that we’re a part of, and the support really means a lot,” he said.

Police said they were in the process of obtaining a search warrant for the apartment to look for the gun and other evidence. Detectives were continuing to interview witnesses. McGuire said they’re still investigating why the children were trying to wake their mother and why she didn’t respond to them sooner or hear the first responders at the door.

“I can’t speak to her mindset at that particular time, but it is concerning,” McGuire said. “I don’t know if she was asleep or if she was oversleeping, I can’t speak to that, but that’s why we’re trying to finalize this information.”

A neighbor at the Bardin Greene Apartments told the Star-Telegram that the disturbance was reported at an apartment in her building. When police officers and firefighters arrived, she heard them announce themselves several times, but no one opened the door, she said, and eventually someone inside the apartment fired a shot.

Another neighbor said he heard the firefighter scream, “I was shot.”

“I hope he’ll make it all right,” the neighbor said.

Resident Ashley Smith said she’s concerned about security and is thinking about moving out of the apartment complex. She said in another recent incident a dumpster caught fire when someone threw a cigarette in.

Anthony Brown, who has lived at the complex since 2020, said he car was broken into and he talked about hearing gunshots in the area and seeing kids fighting after school.

Brown, who was returning home from work, said he doesn’t like to come home to something like this but it’s “no surprise.”

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