Police officer playing online game hears teen's school threat

FORT WORTH, Texas - An off-duty police officer who was playing an online video game overheard another player making a school threat. That teenager is now in jail for the second time.

The teen, 17-year-old Devant Y'Shaun Davis-Brooks, lives in Taylor, which is just outside Austin. Police there said he's been arrested in the past for threatening his former high school.

Early Wednesday morning, he was playing an online game and allegedly told other gamers that he was going to shoot up Taylor High School. An off-duty Fort Worth police officer happened to be playing the same game and heard the whole thing.

Police said the teen did not realize he was playing with a cop. He started bragging about his previous arrest from five months ago.

"When he made the threats, he referenced the fact that he had been involved in something before and advised to 'Google it and you'll know who I am,'" said Commander Joseph Branson with the Taylor Police Department.

The Fort Worth officer immediately contacted police in Taylor and Davis-Brooks was arrested. He's now charged with making a terroristic threat.

Davis-Brooks was arrested in August last year for also for making threats against Taylor High School.

"The arrest in August was during school just after school started with a group of friends of his, making some comments that were threatening in nature," Branson said.

The Fort Worth officer wants to remain anonymous, but his department says it is proud of his actions and for remaining vigilant even while off duty and possibly preventing something more serious from happening.

Criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Toby Shook is not involved with the case. He says the suspect's previous arrest could mean tougher prosecution.

"You can blame first time someone just being a 17-year old and not being mature," Shook said. "But now he's gone and made a threat again. It's up to a third degree felony now. So I think the DA's office will take a look at trying to incarcerate him."

Police haven't specified what was said on the game voice chat or how serious the threat was.

"It has to be what the average person would consider a legitimate threat," Shook said. "Whether he was actually going to carry it out or not doesn't matter. If it's the type of threat and words used that would invoke that type of response in the public, that's all it takes."

The teen remains in the Williamson County jail on a $25,000 bond. His first arrest was a misdemeanor. This time, it's a third-degree felony.

Shooks says Davis-Brooks could face two to ten years in prison, probation or be ordered to undergo psychological counseling. He has an upcoming court date for his previous 2018 case in March.

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