This is the robbery suspect Merced police were seeking when violence erupted downtown
Merced police still are looking for the robbery suspect they thought was inside a downtown dance club Sunday, when a confrontation with the crowd turned ugly.
The man police were looking for, 23-year-old Bryant Brown, was spotted at the club and the chaos erupted when officers went to take him into custody, Merced Police Capt. Chris Goodwin said.
A police officer suffered “serious facial injuries,” five people were arrested and a cell phone video showed an officer firing an anti-riot gun at one man.
Brown slipped away from police during the melee and remained on the run Monday. He is wanted on a warrant out of Mariposa County charging him with robbery, officers said.
Police administrators and investigators on Monday were sorting out the details of numerous reports and eyewitness accounts and said there still were many aspects of the case they weren’t prepared to discuss.
The incident was reported just before 1 a.m. Sunday at Chandelier’s Hookah Lounge & Smoke Shop on Main Street. Officers went to the club looking for Brown. Goodwin the crowd “become aggressive and started to challenge the officers.”
“One of the officers was seriously injured when he was assaulted and hit in the face by several subjects that were in the business,” police said in a statement released Monday. “Additional officers were called to the scene to assist in controlling the crowd.”
The Merced police officer who was injured suffered “facial and head trauma” described by police as “serious.” The officer, whose name has not been released, was taken to the hospital and released a few hours later. He remained off duty Monday, Capt. Bimley West said.
That officer has been with the department for about three years, authorities said.
A cell phone video recorded by Anthony Munoz, a 21-year-old private security guard, captured the end of the incident. The video shows a loud, chaotic scene with officers placing people in handcuffs, ordering others to get on the ground, and shouting between the crowd and police. The clip also includes several seconds that show Officer Joseph Opinski turn and fire a non-lethal round from a “sage weapon” at a man.
Opinski’s identity was confirmed Monday by police. He joined the department in 2014. Opinski was one of two officers who shot and killed a 27-year-old robbery suspect in April 2014. The Merced County District Attorney’s Office said the shooting was justified after a review concluded the woman pointed a loaded firearm at one of the officers just before they opened fire.
Police said two people involved in Sunday’s club melee were examined by medical staff but said there were no significant injuries to anyone in the crowd.
Five Bay Area people were arrested on various allegations ranging from assaulting police to obstruction. Efforts to reach some of those arrested were unsuccessful Monday.
Police commanders said the investigation is expected to take at least several weeks. West said investigators will review all uses of force during the incident, including the round fired by Opinski from the anti-riot gun.
West confirmed that, at least as of Monday, there had been no formal complaints from the public regarding the incident. He also confirmed that no officers had been placed on administrative leave in connection with Sunday’s incident. West acknowledged that when an officer discharges a firearm, administrative leave is automatic and routine, but it’s different for non-lethal or “less-lethal” uses of force.
“We need to look at and understand what an officer sees, what did he perceive and what their state of mind was that leads them to believe force was necessary in a situation,” West said. “We’re going to review all the dynamics involved in this case, including all the reports written by officers and all the reports from witnesses and citizens, which are still coming in (Monday.)”
West said investigators are hoping there are more videos shot by members of the public.
“If there are any more videos, we’d appreciate if they’d share them with us as each piece of information helps us put together the total picture of what occurred.”
Rob Parsons: 209-385-2482
At a glance
Police are searching for Bryant Brown. He is described by police as a black male, 23 years old, standing about 5-feet-11-inches to 6-feet tall, weighing about 175 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Capt. Goodwin at 209-385-6913 or 209-385-6288, or the Merced Police Department Tipster Line at 209-385-4725. The public can send information via anonymous text messages to police department by dialing “TIP411” (847411) and including the word “Comvip” as the “keyword” in the text message.
This story was originally published July 10, 2017 at 5:04 PM with the headline "This is the robbery suspect Merced police were seeking when violence erupted downtown."