45-year-old 'primary aggressor' charged after wild brawl caught on video involving apparent HS students at ICE protest

A 45-year-old male has been arrested and charged in connection with a wild brawl involving apparent high school students at a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Texas — much of which was caught on video.

Buda Police said Chad Michael Watts of Kyle was charged Tuesday with two counts of assault causing bodily injury.

'We see that all the time in law enforcement — that videos start at the 10-second mark. What happened in the first 10 seconds?'

Police previously said students from Moe and Gene Johnson High School in Buda were conducting a “walkout” protest Monday — then officers were dispatched for a fight in progress just before 3 p.m. Buda is about 20 minutes southwest of Austin.

Arriving officers were notified that a juvenile female on the sidewalk and an adult male in a vehicle were engaged in a verbal argument, police said, adding that the argument escalated into a physical altercation involving multiple people.

The adult male departed the scene prior to officers arriving, but he was soon located and interviewed, police said. Since officers didn't witness the brawl, the adult male and the juvenile female were identified and released; no arrests were made at the time, police said.

RELATED: Video: All-out brawl erupts between adult male with MAGA hat and more than a dozen apparent HS students at ICE protest

However police said further investigation determined that Watts was the primary aggressor in the physical altercation, and probable cause was established for two offenses of assault causing bodily injury, a Class A misdemeanor.

Hays County Jail records as of Wednesday morning indicate Watts has no bond and no release date.

Police said the investigation is ongoing to determine if additional charges will be filed.

"We’re trying to get to the original videos and have those submitted by those people that took the videos so we can have a solid case and have that chain of custody for our evidence,” Matt Schima, public information officer with the Buda Police Department, told KXAN-TV.

Schima added to the station that "we see that all the time in law enforcement — that videos start at the 10-second mark. What happened in the first 10 seconds? That’s very important as to what happened for the rest of the video. So I think a lot of the public is really taking the last part of the situation, and they’re making their judgments. So what we have to do to have a solid investigation is what initiated all of this.”

As police noted, the adult male was in a vehicle when he verbally argued with the juvenile female — and then things got physical. Indeed one clip recorded from a distance shows what appears to be the adult male on the street swinging at a female as they move from the street to the sidewalk and to the grass.

A second clip recorded very close to the fight shows what appears to be the adult male holding a MAGA hat while swinging at a female and pushing her backward as she fights back; she momentarily grabs the MAGA hat before she falls to the grass.

A third clip shows the bulk of the brawl, and the adult male is outnumbered. At least a dozen apparent high school students punch and kick him, knock him to the ground, and even put him in a headlock until he's able to get up and retreat to his vehicle. Those fighting and watching the brawl are heard yelling, "What the f**k?" and "Get him!" and "F**k ICE! You're a bitch!" and "F**kin' kill yourself!"

Once the adult male is back in his vehicle, one individual from the crowd is heard yelling at him, "Hey, you want another ass-beating, come on out!" The adult male eventually puts the MAGA hat on his head.

It's still unclear why the adult male got out of his vehicle in the first place.

When Blaze News asked police if the adult male indicated why he left his vehicle and physically fought the juvenile female, police replied that it's still under investigation.

If the public has original evidence, witness statements, or relevant information they would like to provide, they can contact Hays County Dispatch at 512-393-7896 or do so anonymously through Hays County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-324-TIPS (8477), www.callcrimestoppers.com, or through the “P3 Tips” phone application, police said.

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