The Arlington Police Department had a busy day on Friday as several people were arrested during festivities related to the Texas Rangers’ World Series championship parade and celebration.
The department made 13 arrests between 11 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. related to the celebration and events at the nearby Texas Live! entertainment center and other areas around Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium, The Dallas Express confirmed with an Arlington Police Department spokesperson. According to the department, incidents included:
— five arrests for public intoxication;
— two arrests for DWI;
— two arrests for drug-related charges;
— one arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon;
— one arrest for outstanding warrants;
— one arrest for evading arrest;
— one arrest for fighting in public.
The aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and outstanding warrants arrests both resulted from an altercation between drivers in the parking lot of AT&T Stadium, near the beginning of the parade route, around 2:30 p.m. One of the drivers pulled out a gun and fired it in the air. The shooter was arrested on four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The other party was arrested on outstanding warrants.
According to Fox 4 KDFW, no injuries occurred during the incident. The shooter, 37-year-old Tommy Phonthalangsy, was a convicted felon, so his possession of a firearm was illegal.
NBC 5 DFW reported that several people got out of their cars as things escalated into a physical brawl before Phonthalangsy pulled out the weapon.
Officers at the events were also seen pulling people who had climbed on top of signs, buildings, and other structures in the area down for their safety and “the safety of those around them. The department says no arrests were made concerning those incidents.
According to the City of Arlington’s crime statistics dashboard, the Entertainment District has seen seven cases of aggravated assault in the last month and 46 in the last year, including Friday’s incident.
Such crimes have also been an issue in Dallas, where the Dallas Police Department has been struggling to keep crime down amid staffing woes. Although a City analysis recommended a ratio of three officers for every 1,000 residents, putting an ideal staffing level at roughly 4,000 officers, the department maintains a force of fewer than 3,200 sworn personnel.
The effects of the staffing shortfall are apparent in Downtown Dallas, which logs significantly higher crime rates compared to Fort Worth’s downtown area. The latter is reportedly patrolled by a designated neighborhood police unit working alongside private security guards.
