A Bryan father has spoken out after being wrongly detained by officers in front of his children. Officers from the Bryan Police Department arrived at the 400 block of Legion Court in search of a man named “Marquis” while Marcellious McGee was having a backyard barbecue with family and friends on the Fourth of July.
Marcellious McGee and many witnesses said officers ignored crowd pleas that they were holding the wrong man and detained Marcellious McGee regardless.
Family members’ cell phone recordings capture the moment Marcellious McGee was placed in handcuffs and led to the front of the house, where he was held for a number of minutes. Several voices can be heard yelling at the officers in the video, claiming that Marcellious McGee was not the person they were searching for.
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“They came to me and I stopped, and I’m looking at the guy like, what’s going on?” Marcellious McGee told KBTX. “Because they’re charging at me and I have my hands up. And while I’m looking at the officer head-on, another officer came from behind and football tackled me.”
A second officer eventually arrived there and confirmed that there was a case of mistaken identity. According to Marcellious McGee, his release came with no apology or explanation.
“They uncuffed me and just walked off,” said Marcellious McGee. “No, sorry, no nothing. I had to go inside and explain to my crying kids that their daddy wasn’t in trouble.”
Marcus McGee, Marcellious McGee’s father, is demanding accountability.
“We want change. We want policies updated,” said Marcus McGee. “Something needs to be done so this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s family.”
The McGee family is requesting that the department make the body camera footage from the incident public and is thinking about filing a lawsuit. Despite the emotional cost, Marcellious McGee said he is appreciative of the response he has received from several city officials and community leaders, including high-ranking police officers and members of the mayor’s office.
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The City of Bryan released a statement regarding the incident: “The City of Bryan is aware an incident occurred over the July 4 weekend involving the Bryan Police Department. While officers were serving an active arrest warrant for his brother, they detained Marcellious McGee. Once the officers determined Mr. McGee was not the suspect, he was released at the scene. We appreciate the McGee family’s response at the scene to attempt to assist the officers’ efforts to de-escalate and resolve the situation. We also recognize the family’s frustration at the scene.
“As with incidents of this nature, an internal review will be conducted. In an effort to ensure thoroughness and a complete gathering of facts, an internal review of this nature can take up to four weeks or more. The Bryan Police Department is committed to providing superior police services to the public in order to protect life, property, and freedoms secured by the Constitution. The men and women of the Department strive to perform in an exemplary manner at all times, and an utmost priority is treating individuals with dignity and respect. Once the internal review is complete, the findings of the review will be reported to Mr. McGee. We appreciate the McGee family’s understanding as we complete the review.”
Meanwhile, the Bryan Police Department has not published the name of the person it was originally looking for, nor has it stated whether any officers have been penalized.
“I just want justice,” Marcellious McGee stated.
