MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The brother of a man shot to death by police on Thursday made threatening comments after his arrest, prosecutors said Monday.
Mobile County District Judge Spiro Cheriogotis ordered Tyhre Webster, 22, to remain in jail at least until a court hearing on Feb. 22 to consider a prosecution request to revoke Webster’s bond on a charge of shooting into an occupied vehicle.
A Mobile County police detective testified Monday that Webster made threats against police during a hone call from the jail, where police had booked him on charges of threatening a witness and reckless endangerment.
“There was evidence presented today of a phone call that Tyhre made from Metro Jail, where he indicated that he was going to harm the police if he should get out,” Mobile County Chief Assistant District Attorney Keith Blackwood told FOX10 News. “That evidence was presented to the judge, and based on that and every other factor that we have in this case, we asked that he be held with no bond, and the judge agreed and held him in that bond.”
Webster’s attorney, Chalea Tisdale, had a case in federal court on Monday. Lawyer Chase Dearman, who was standing in for her in Mobile County District Court, argued to the judge that Webster’s comments should be viewed in light of his raw emotions
“His brother was shot and killed by police,” he said. “His mother was shot in the foot.”
Mobile Police Chief Lawrence Battiste has said investigators believe Dearman said Treyh Webster shot at police as they tried to serve warrants on Thursday at the house on Lakeview Drive East. The chief told reporters that the SWAT team returned fire, killing Webster. He also said investigators believe Webster accidentally shot his mother’s foot.
The woman, Georgette Sons, told FOX10 News on Sunday that she does not believe police were justified in shooting her son. She said police should simply have knocked on the door.
In court Monday, Dearman said Tyhre Webster’s statements during the jail phone call were general in nature.
“There was no direct threat. … It was just a general situation,” he said.
Tisdale told FOX10 News that she intends to oppose the motion to revoke Webster’s bond. She said she understands her client said something to the effect of, “I’m not going to let them get away with it” during a conversation with his girlfriend’s mother.
“None of the family wants that to happen,” she said. “They all want justice. … I do not consider that a threat.”
Tisdale said the phone call took place the day after her client’s brother died.
“He was distraught,” she said.
Tyhre Webster stands charged with intimidating a witness and reckless endangerment. Those charges were the basis of arrest warrants police were trying to serve both Webster brothers on Thursday. Prosecutors allege that both brothers last month tried to ram the victim of a robbery committed by Treyh Webster. Treyh Webster fired five shots into the air, according to the allegations.
Prosecutors contend the encounter was an attempt to pressure the victim into not testifying.
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Original found on Fox 10
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