Courthouse fight leads to arrest for battery, child abuse

A fight in front of the Liberty County Courthouse led to the arrest of a local man.William Bradley Rudd, 36, is charged with child abuse, battery, violation of an injunction, and resisting arrest with violence.According to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, Dep. Walker and Lt. Geiger were dispatched to the front of the courthouse Saturday just after 4 p.m. in reference to a physical disturbance. As they approached, they heard people cursing at each other and Dep. Walker ordered them to stop. While attempting to calm the situation, Dep. Walker noticed a man in a cutoff shirt, identified as Rudd, running westbound on the north shoulder sidewalk of Hwy. 20. He was ordered to stop, but continued. Citizens in the area waved Dep. Walker toward Rudd’s location as he pursued in his patrol car, eventually spotting Rudd at the Bristol Chevron. Dep. Walker approached and Rudd reportedly began yelling that he had done nothing wrong, refusing to listen to the deputy. Rudd, who appeared intoxicated, allegedly moved aggressively toward Dep. Walker after being told to stop and get on the ground. Dep. Walker then used force to bring Rudd to the ground and place him in handcuffs. He was then taken to the Liberty County Jail.Meanwhile, Lt. Geiger took statements from a married couple at the scene who said they were walking with their baby down the sidewalk when Rudd approached in a truck, punched the man and snatched the baby from the stroller while continuing to fight. Rudd reportedly had a previous relationship with the female, but an injunction had been filed against him requiring no contact with her. He is also on probation for a previous domestic violence charge.