The Longview Police Department held a press conference on Wednesday to address an assault that occurred outside a bar and went viral last weekend, issuing a clear warning to anyone considering retaliation.
Ciarrianne Fuller, 21, is now in custody – charged with assault causing bodily injury and booked into the Gregg County Jail on a $20,000 bond. Longview Police Department spokesperson Ladarian Brown confirmed the arrest stems from that specific assault reported Sunday outside of the Whiskey J’s bar.
As The Dallas Express first reported on June 22, a woman publicly identified on social media as Sammie Lee alleged several women attacked her after leaving Whiskey J’s in the early hours of June 21. Lee named the women she believed were responsible in her original post. The Dallas Express chose not to publish those names at the time because their involvement in the attack had not been confirmed by police or court records.
The name of the woman now charged in the attack matches one of the names Lee published in her original posts.
Days after Lee’s account of the attack went viral on social media, Brown stepped to the podium with a clear message: the department is watching, and it is not taking what it sees lightly.
“We are also aware of social media conversations concerning retaliation, division, and attacks between members of our community,” Brown said, in remarks captured in a video posted to X by investigative journalist Sarah Fields.
“Those statements are being reviewed seriously at this time. We do not have verified information to support any broader threat to the public. The Longview Police Department is actively investigating this matter, and we are in communication with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Any credible threat, any attempt to organize violence and any effort to intimidate members of this community will be taken seriously and investigated appropriately.”
Brown then turned his attention to the community:
“We do not, as a community, answer one wrong with another wrong,” Brown said. “We don’t let anger become retaliation, and we do not let social media become judge and jury.” He also warned against the spread of unverified information online, asking community members not to let “outside voices, online agitators, and anyone else” stir division in Longview.
“We cannot allow rumors to outrun facts, and we cannot allow fear to do more damage than the incident itself,” he added.
Lee’s original post alleged her attackers shouted “Free Karmelo” during the assault – a reference to Karmelo Anthony, the 19-year-old convicted of murder on June 9 for fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco track meet in April 2025.
Brown made it clear that the investigation is active, that the FBI is reportedly involved, and that the department intends to follow the facts wherever they lead. He closed with a direct call to residents in Longview: if you know something, call investigators. And if you’re tempted to take matters into your own hands, don’t.
“I can stand here and say, without the fear of contradiction, that your police department will continue to do its job,” Brown said.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Brown directly addressed the assault and threats made on social media. However, as of the time of publication, the Longview Police Department had not responded to The Dallas Express’ specific inquiry regarding the claims about the “Free Karmelo” chant.
