Waco Cop Back on the Job After Grand Jury Clears Him of Wrongdoing in Bow and Arrow Attack
When you become a police officer, you have no idea what you're going to encounter out in the wild. You certainly never expect someone to try to shoot at you with a bow and arrow.
That reportedly happened to officer Gbolahan Fadeyi, a 26-year-veteran of the Waco Police Department, back on August 29.
According to a news release from Waco PD, officers were dispatched to the intersection of Booker St. and Lincoln Blvd that day around 9:40 AM after receiving reports of people fighting in the street. Officers were told that a woman involved in the disturbance - 39-year-old Cheri Ann Mai of Waco - was shooting a compound bow.
When police arrived, they spotted Mai sitting alone in a field still holding the bow. Officer Fadeyi took cover and shouted commands to Mai, who reportedly took a shot at him with the bow. Fadeyi fired his weapon in response, and did not hit Mai. She then put the bow down and laid down in the grass in surrender.
Mai was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a public servant - a 1st degree felony.
Officer Fadeyi was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure for the Waco PD when an officer discharges a firearm in a situation like this.
Fadeyi's case went before a grand jury in McLennan County, which declined Thursday, October 15 to indict the officer. Our partners at News 10 report that he'll be returning to duties now that his name is clear.
Police tactics and use of excessive force have probably been the 2nd-most-discussed topic in America after the pandemic in 2020, but in my opinion Fadeyi had every right to fire a warning shot here. An arrow loosed from a compound bow in the hands of someone who knows how to use it can be fatal, or at least do some serious damage. I'm just glad Mai surrendered and things didn't escalate further.
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