BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A Bryan man was sentenced to spend 40 years in prison on Tuesday, stemming from a 2022 distress call.

According to the Brazos County District Attorney’s office, Eric Carroll, 37, pleaded guilty to Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Burglary of a Habitation.

The charges are in connection to a 911 call from November 2022. Bryan police were sent to a woman’s home who said her ex-boyfriend, identified as Carroll, threatened her at gunpoint. Court documents say several of the woman’s neighbors also reported gunshots.

Officers reportedly discovered bullet casings just outside of the woman’s home. Inside, they reported seeing broken glass and blood.

Carroll was located and arrested a short time later. The DA’s office said samples were taken off Carroll’s hands, positively identifying gunshot primer residue which matched the casings found earlier.

The release from the DA’s office reveals that Carroll, from phone calls at the jail, attempted to bribe one neighbor who called 911 to report the sounds of gunshots into changing their story.

“The defendant then engaged in a scheme to offer one of those callers money in exchange for the witness to testify that she heard fireworks that night instead of gunshots.”

Carroll’s punishment was enhanced due to his criminal history. The DA’s office called him a “habitual offender.”

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