EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A man arrested for firing off a gun near the Cincinnati Entertainment District was twice seen by police before the most recent incident acting agitated and angry and trying to cause trouble.
That’s according to court documents obtained by KTSM.
Ny’Quan Ontario Thames, 21, was arrested on Wednesday Nov. 1 for allegedly firing off a gun near the Cincinnati Entertainment District on Sept. 3 and again back on June 9.
According to court documents obtained by KTSM, Thames was seen by officers around 2 a.m. on Sept. 3 by officers patrolling the Cincinnati district area on foot. According to documents, a shirtless Black man was seen “causing a disturbance, attempting to start fights with other bar patrons in front of the shopping center which contains Profe Bar and Sister Esther’s bar (2720 N. Mesa).”
According to documents, the man, later identified as Thames, was being held back by members of his group. Officers approached the group and told the man to leave the area. The group was sent on their way and was seen walking in the direction of the Shops at Glory Road shopping center (2725 N. Mesa).
At around 2:30, an officer in a marked patrol car was driving in the area around the Cincinnati district. The officer saw a group of men attempting to hold back a shirtless Black man “who appeared agitated and angry,” according to court documents. The officer made contact with the group and observed that the man appeared to be intoxicated. According to the court documents, the other members of the group appeared to be sober and offered to take the man home.
As the officer drove away, Thames reportedly yelled out something to the effect that “he had guns too,” according to court documents.
Shortly after that, a citizen called 9-1-1 to report that shots had been fired at the Panda Express restaurant along the 2700 block of North Mesa.
Police used surveillance video and body cam photos from the earlier encounter with police to identify Thames as the person who allegedly fired off a gun that night.
The information was shared with Fort Bliss Criminal Investigations Division, with police believing that the suspect may have military ties.
Five 9mm casings were found at the scene from the September incident, according to court documents, and those were matched to another shots-fired call in the Cincinnati district back in June, according to court documents. Both incidents were linked to Thames by police.
