Protests at a “family-friendly” drag show in Fort Worth this Sunday ended with three in custody, and police have now released video footage capturing multiple assaults and the resulting arrests.

Children were allowed to attend the event hosted by Fort Brewery and Pizza on April 23, much like the “family-friendly” drag shows hosted by BuzzBrews Kitchen in Dallas, which The Dallas Express has previously covered.

Both protesting and counter-protesting groups could be seen outside the venue. The counter-protesters were thought to be members of the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club (EFJBGC) — an armed Antifa group that aims to protect marginalized groups, per its social media page.

The group, who wore masks and tactical gear and carried weapons, quickly became violent. After one apparent EFJBGC member pepper-sprayed a group of protesters unprovoked, police intervened.

On Monday, the Fort Worth Police Department released a compilation of City camera and bodycam footage depicting the arrests and what led up to them, as well as identifying the arrestees. Alongside this footage was a press release detailing the series of events.

In the video, Fort Worth police can be heard warning the armed counter-protesters not to reach for their weapons and to stand down. Several policemen with bicycles form a barrier and warn onlookers to stay back as their fellow officers make the arrests.

The three suspected EFJBGC members taken into custody were identified as Samuel Fowlkes, 20, Christopher Guillott, 33, and Meghan Grant, 37.

Fowlkes is charged with resisting arrest, assaulting a peace officer, evading arrest, and four counts of assault causing bodily injury. His bond is set at $22,500.

Guillott is charged with assaulting a peace officer and interfering with public duties. His bond is set at $9,500.

Grant is charged with resisting arrest and interfering with public duties. Her bond is set at $4,000.

The Dallas Express was present at Fort Brewery and Pizza to cover the protest and counter-protest.

When The Dallas Express arrived at the scene, the EFJBGC members were already there and could be heard hurling obscenities at Fort Worth police officers as well as those who had come to protest the event.

One of the groups protesting the event was the New Columbia Movement, who were gathered in prayer, as one NCM member told The Dallas Express. It was the assault against these protesters that prompted the initial police response.

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“We were there for a couple of minutes just analyzing the situation and decided to pray. We’d just started the prayer. We didn’t even get through it that much when three guys decided to come over to our side. Two of them, they have little ammo packs, one of them has a little stick with two flags on it, transgender or something,” said Kyle Randle.

Randle explained to The Dallas Express that as the three masked individuals confronted his group, one of the NCM members stood up to them.

“One of our guys is saying ‘Go to your side,’” Randle said.

As shown in the Fort Worth Police Department footage, one of the EFJBGC members, later identified by police as Fowlkes, walked toward the group and started spraying pepper spray.

“The guy with the two tiny flags on the stick decides to pull out pepper spray, gets one of our guys, gets another one. I’m right here, but as soon as I saw his hand go up I was like, oh shoot, you know ducking out of the way so it doesn’t get me,” Randle told The Dallas Express.

The spray did not get Randle but landed on a mother named Julia Lockhart, who was attending the protest with her daughter.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, moments later, Fort Worth police began to pursue the individual previously described by Randle as firing pepper spray.

The Dallas Express captured our own footage of the events that ensued as officers arrived on the scene.

While at the drag show, The Dallas Express spoke with many of those who attended the event, whether in support or in protest.

Lockhart, the mother and NCM member who was pepper sprayed, explained to The Dallas Express why she and her daughter were protesting the show.

“I see a lot of people who are afraid to show their faces. My daughter and I are here showing our faces because we are proud of what we believe, and we are not behaving like that, so I see a true difference in our side versus their side,” said Lockhart. “As you can see, they are attacking police officers and we are standing here peacefully.”

Kelly Neidert, executive director of Protect Texas Kids, also spoke to The Dallas Express.

She explained that PTK has been protesting “family-friendly” drag shows because the venues allow kids to attend.

“We’re here today because the show was promoted as a family-friendly show,” explained Neidert.

Neidert told The Dallas Express that some performers mocked the group’s opposition.

“Some of the performers had even gone on their social media pages after we announced the protest, and they said that they were just kind of mocking us and assuring us that it would be family-friendly, but we know that it never is so that’s why we’re out here today,” said Neidert.

Supporters of the drag show told The Dallas Express that they disagreed with the protest.

“Nobody here is hurting anybody. They’re having fun,” Shawn Sargent, who came to see the show, told The Dallas Express.

“That’s all these people do is love everybody. If you can’t get on board with that, and you’re supposed to be Christian, and you’re going to church, and then you come do this, that’s not Christianlike, that’s not love, you love people,” said Sargent.

Kadince Kepler, 15, attended the drag show with her mother, who gave permission for her daughter to speak to The Dallas Express. Kepler said drag shows are not a problem, but child gender transitioning is.

“Instead of going after the grown adults that make their own decisions, go after the parents who tell their kid that they’re the other gender than they were born,” Kepler told The Dallas Express.

“My 7-year-old daughter asked me where I was going today, and I told her that I was gonna go watch men dressed up as women dancing and singing, and she said I wanna go, and I said one of these days I’ll take you,” Audrey Matthews, another attendee of the drag show, told The Dallas Express.

“This is absolutely normal, this is absolutely child-friendly,” Matthews added. “They’re not doing anything that hurts children in any way, shape, or form. These are performers and they’re here to entertain, and it’s all about love.”

Aaron Hoernke, the marketing director of Fort Brewery and Pizza, previously told The Dallas Express that children are allowed to attend the controversial shows the brewery hosts.

In an email to The Dallas Express, Hoernke explained what the establishment stands for.

“We are a brewery that sells pizza, wine, beer and no hard liquor. The atmosphere is one that was designed to be enjoyed by all,” wrote Hoernke.

In response to The Dallas Express’ question about who funds the drag show, Hoernke replied, “It is funded by the public through the sale of tickets to the event.”

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