Update 10/21/2013: MyTJCNews.com has obtained the following video from CBS19 and the Tyler Junior College Police Department. The middle of the video cuts to surveillance footage from a camera mounted on the Pirtle Technology Center.
An altercation took place in front of the Pirtle Technology Building. The quarrel began when a religious picketer accused a student of stealing his camcorder. The two engaged in a shoving match before they were pulled apart.
As the student was being talked down, the picketer grabbed his tripod and began shoving his way back into the crowd. Multiple students allege that they were hit with the stand. Multiple students immediately called Campus Police.
The student then tried to remove himself from the situation, but was followed up to his vehicle in the S-7 parking lot near Wesley House. Witnesses said that the suspect followed him to his vehicle and began shoving the student and attempting to hit others with his tripod.
The student, unable to get his backpack and jacket into his vehicle, then pulled a gun and said, “Do you want to keep messing with me … ?” according to eye-witness, Zach Pichette. Pichette is a staff writer for the Apache Pow Wow and was a witness to the events.
At this point, the alleged aggressor backed down and proceeded to the campus police substation. As the picketer waited in the substation, he became irate and called city of Tyler police. Due to this, city police will now take over the investigation according to the responding campus officer.
More details will follow as this story develops.
Update: MyTJCnews has exclusive pictures from the event.
Check the page for even more pictures as the story develops.
