A late-night confrontation outside a downtown Arlington bar ended with a 21-year-old pistol-whipped, a gun in police custody and a 33-year-old suspect tracked to Grand Prairie and arrested, according to authorities. The younger victim escaped serious injury and did not need to be taken to a hospital, police said.
What the police say
Officers say the trouble started last Saturday in the 500 block of E. Front Street outside a bar, when the suspect allegedly pulled a gun and struck the 21-year-old with it. No shots were fired. Police recovered the firearm and say the suspect left in a vehicle that had several other occupants, including children.
Arlington officers later located the vehicle and booked 33-year-old Dominic Echols on charges that include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, family violence and driving while intoxicated with a child under 15. Investigators conducted roadside sobriety tests, then obtained a warrant for a blood sample that will be analyzed at a lab, according to WFAA.
What the charges mean
Under Texas law, operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a passenger younger than 15 is classified as a state-jail felony under Texas Penal Code section 49.045 (Texas Penal Code). State-jail felonies carry potential penalties of 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and fines up to $10,000 under section 12.35 of the code (Texas Penal Code). Prosecutors are expected to review the lab results along with other evidence before deciding how to formally file the case…