A fight between two men at a tailgate led to intervention from law enforcement and questions of racial discrimination at Texas A&M.
Around 4 p.m. on Saturday, a student took a beverage from a neighboring tailgate, which prompted a man from the tailgate to follow him, grab him by his hoodie and throw him to the ground. According to public statements from bystanders and the Texas A&M University Police Department, the man from the tailgate was unaware that the student had received permission from another tailgate attendee to take the drink. However, accounts vary as to the type and quantity of drinks in question. After, the student was thrown to the ground, the two men began to fight, prompting several mounted Harris County Sheriff’s deputies to separate the men. The mounted deputies were among the many additional law enforcement officers hired by the A&M Athletic Department to assist with game day security, according to A&M Police.
In a video posted on Twitter by general studies sophomore Xavier Maldonado, five deputies are seen surrounding the student after the fight while one deputy speaks to the other man away from the crowd. Maldonado followed the video with a tweet around 7 p.m. that featured a written account of the incident and said the use of five deputies to surround the student while the other man was speaking to one deputy was an indication of racial discrimination.
The story of what happened. @TAMU I need to know why these officers were here. pic.twitter.com/qpJvkFfzlL
— xaemastaxae 🌚🌝 (@theman2by4) October 13, 2019
At 11:08 p.m., the Texas A&M University Police Department posted a series of tweets about the incident. The post said the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol unit was attempting to keep the student from attacking the other man. The department also said that neither of the men involved in the fight have pressed charges.
A misunderstanding unfolded Saturday between two tailgate groups that prompted deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Patrol unit to get involved.
— Texas A&M Police (@TAMUPolice) October 13, 2019
•The dispute unfolded after a neighboring tailgater was given permission to take a drink out of a cooler, but a man affiliated with that tailgate was unaware of the approval, so he followed the man, grabbed his hoodie and threw him to the ground. That’s what prompted the man
— Texas A&M Police (@TAMUPolice) October 13, 2019
•Deputies said they positioned their horses in a manner to prevent that from happening.
Neither of the individuals pressed charges.
— Texas A&M Police (@TAMUPolice) October 13, 2019
Harris County deputies are among many police units around the region hired by the Athletics Department that help with security outside and inside Kyle Field, including when more than 100,000 people are on campus.
— Texas A&M Police (@TAMUPolice) October 13, 2019
This is a developing story and will be updated with additional information as it becomes available.
