Debated gunman on Columbia Central High campus case dropped, DA says
The case against former Columbia firefighter Roy Brooks in connection with a May 2023 incident, which involved Brooks carrying a firearm onto Central High School's campus will not go forward.
District Attorney Brent Cooper, 22nd District, issued a statement Tuesday.
"After doing an in-depth review of the facts of the case and the applicable law, I came to the conclusion that a jury may find reasonable doubt as to Mr. Brooks' guilt, beyond a reasonable doubt," Cooper's statement reads. "Therefore, the ethical action was to submit an order of Nolle Prosequi, meaning that the State chooses not to proceed further with the case."
The charges stemmed from a May 3, 2023 incident in which a false active shooter call was made to the school.
Brooks, having experience as a military veteran, first responder and tactical trainer, responded to the scene wearing tactical gear and carrying a fully loaded AR-15 rifle.
Brooks was later indicted on Aug. 17 by a Maury County grand jury, with charges of carrying a firearm onto school property while not being an official member of law enforcement or any authorized dispatch team, a Class E felony.
More: Maury Co. district responds to indictment of armed man on Central High campus in May
Brooks was set to face charges of carrying a weapon onto school property while not on authorized duty, with the court date set for Wednesday, as well as the possibility of facing up to two years in jail.
This follows Brooks' denial of a plea deal in November last year, which would have included a year of probation that would have eventually been wiped from his record.
More: Former firefighter denies plea deal in firearm on campus case, trial set May 22 next year
At the time of the November hearing, Brooks' attorney Dave Christensen said the denial was due to "basically, we don't think he did anything illegal," while Columbia police officers were on the school's campus at the time and did not deem Brooks a threat.
"He wasn't in the S.W.A.T. team at the moment, but he had been in the past. Everybody knew him, and he was there, and so they put him in Team 2," Christensen told The Daily Herald, citing that footage exists showing the incident.
At the time of Brooks' indictment in August, Columbia Police Chief Jeremy Alsup stated he had seen the May 3 footage, and that while Brooks was not deemed a threat, he was not officially part of the responding team.
"I've seen video where he is around our S.W.A.T. team members. There was a discrepancy because we had some guys out there training and people thought he had arrived with us, since he arrived at the same time," Alsup said. "But he is not on our S.W.A.T. team nor was he representing our S.W.A.T. team at the time.
"At the time, our main focus was the safety of the children and the teachers in that school."
Brooks had also previously filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the city after being fired in May of 2022, though that case was dismissed in January.
The suit claimed Brooks was terminated following multiple reports made to his superiors regarding alleged issues within the department, though the official reason filed by city attorneys was that the termination was due to "numerous policy violations," and that the dismissal was made without prejudice.
Jay Powell is a general reporter for The Daily Herald. Get up-to-date news in your inbox by subscribing to The Daily Herald newsletter at www.ColumbiaDailyHerald.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Roy Brooks' gunman on Columbia Central campus case dropped, DA says
