, cassandra@rustonleader.com
02-05-2007
Ruston police are
investigating a shooting that occurred this morning at the Waffle House, located
on Tech Drive, a business that is a popular destination for the late-night
crowd, said RPD Lt. Curtis Hawkins. “This is just one example of many disturbances that have happened at the Waffle House during the late night and early morning hours,” Hawkins said. “Most Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, the Waffle House is inundated with hundreds of late-night party-goers.”
The RPD received a call from the business around 3:33 a.m. in reference to a large fight in progress in the parking lot.
“When our officers responded, they observed a group of people in the parking lot, some hysterical and running in many different directions,” Hawkins said.
“One of the bystanders pointed to a car and said there was a male inside who had been shot.”
Derrick D. Bradford, 19, was located sitting in the car with a gunshot wound to his left shoulder.
He reportedly told officers that he exited the Waffle House and was walking to his car when a male seated in another nearby car got out and started a verbal altercation.
Hawkins said Bradford said he did not know his attacker.
In the course of the argument, the suspect allegedly pulled a handgun and shot Bradford once in the shoulder before fleeing the scene in an orange and silver gray Chevrolet Impala, with the word Impala written on the hood.
Bradford refused to wait for an ambulance and was transported by a friend to Lincoln General Hospital where he was treated for his wound.
Hawkins said the suspect is not believed to live in the Ruston area; anyone with any information is encouraged to call the RPD at 255-4141.
Police also arrested a member of the crowd at the Waffle House on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace.
Officers were attempting to check members of the crowd from weapons when Robert Thompson Jr., 24, of Jonesboro, reportedly became very uncooperative.
“Thompson pulled down his pants, exposing himself and used profane language toward the officers,” Hawkins said. “When they tried to arrest him, he started resisting officers.”
He cited this latest incident as an on-going problem with businesses that attract a late-night crowd.
“(On the weekends) crowds at the Waffle House range from 50 persons to several hundreds, all attempting to get in,” Hawkins said.
“This creates a traffic congestion in the area; the parking lot can’t hold that many cars, so people park at all the surrounding businesses.
Very quickly, the Waffle House is at capacity, and the rest of the people are forced to stand out in the parking lot. A lot of times that results in fights or incidents such as the one we had this morning.
These large and many times violent crowds, most of whom are intoxicated, create a dangerous atmosphere for our officers and surrounding businesses and homes.”
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