‘No, sorry ... no nothing’: Man wrongfully detained by police in front of his kids

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX/Gray News) - A Fourth of July family celebration in Texas took a traumatic turn for one man who says he was tackled and wrongfully detained by police in front of his children.

Marcellious McGee was attending a backyard cookout with family and friends in the 400 block of Legion Court when officers with the Bryan Police Department entered the property looking for someone named “Marquis.”

According to McGee and several witnesses, officers ignored pleas from the crowd that they had the wrong person and proceeded to detain McGee anyway.

“They came to me and I stopped, and I’m looking at the guy like, what’s going on?” McGee recalled. “They were charging at me and I had my hands up. And while I’m looking at the officer, another officer came from behind and tackled me.”

Cellphone videos recorded by family members show the moment McGee was handcuffed and taken to the front of the house, where he was detained for several minutes.

In the video, multiple voices can be heard shouting at officers, insisting McGee was not the person they were looking for.

Eventually, another officer arrived and confirmed the mistaken identity.

McGee said he was released without explanation or apology.

“They uncuffed me and just walked off,” he said. “No, sorry ... no nothing. I had to go inside and explain to my crying kids that their daddy wasn’t in trouble.”

The Bryan Police Department has confirmed the incident is under internal investigation.

Officials have not released the name of the person they were originally searching for or said whether any officers have been disciplined.

McGee’s father, Marcus McGee, is calling for accountability.

“We want change. We want policies updated,” Marcus McGee said. “Something needs to be done so this doesn’t happen to anyone else’s family.”

The McGee family is considering legal action and is urging the department to release the body camera footage from the incident.

Despite the emotional toll, Marcellious McGee says he’s grateful for the response he’s received from some community leaders and city officials, including those within the mayor’s office and high-ranking officers in the police department.

“I just want justice,” he said.