Fort Worth detective arrested, accused of forcing his way into home to confront teens
An off-duty Fort Worth police detective has been arrested and accused of forcing his way into a home to confront teenagers he believed had stolen from him, according to the police department.
Detective Bryan Lafaurie was armed when the entered the home just before 6 p.m. Friday, police said.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
“It’s very early in the process,” said Robert Huseman of Fort Worth, a defense attorney for Lafaurie. Huseman is with the law firm Varghese Summersett. “We were retained on Wednesday and will immediately begin conducting our own investigation into the allegations. Until then, we would ask the public not to rush to judgment. Officer Lafaurie is a devoted father and dedicated police corporal who has served his community for years. We look forward to the opportunity to present his side at the appropriate time.”
Patrol officers were called to the scene Friday responding to a burglary in progress call from residents at the home.
During the investigation, officers learned that Lafaurie, who was off-duty, had entered the residence to confront teenagers he suspected of stealing his personal property earlier in the day, Fort Worth police said Thursday in a news release.
Lafaurie was placed on restricted duty and stripped of all police powers during the course of the ongoing criminal and administrative investigations, police said.
On Tuesday, detectives with the special investigations unit obtained an arrest warrant for Lafaurie on the offense of burglary. Lafaurie subsequently turned himself in to the Tarrant County Jail.
This case will be filed with the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, Fort Worth police said.
“The Fort Worth Police Department holds its officers to a high standard both on and off-duty, and does not tolerate criminal misconduct; therefore, a thorough investigation into the circumstances of these allegations is being conducted,” police said in the new release.
Lafaurie has been with the Fort Worth Police Department for eight years, and was assigned to the digital forensics unit at the time of his arrest.
This story was originally published July 14, 2022 at 9:44 AM.
