Background: The Legend Apartments in Waco, Texas (Google Maps). Inset left: Paul Thames (McLennan County Sheriff’s Office/KWTX). Inset right: Ring footage of Thames appearing to assault a child (Waco Police Dept./KWTX) .
A Texas man — and confirmed sergeant in the U.S. Army — was seen on home security footage brutally attacking a 3-year-old child, according to police.
Paul Thames, 29, is in jail on a charge of injury to a child, a third-degree felony, McLennan County Jail records show. The alleged attack was apparently captured on Ring camera home video before going viral on social media.
“The Waco Police Department is aware of a video circulating on social media depicting a horrendous assault of a 3-year-old boy by an adult male that occurred this afternoon,” the department said in a statement.
According to Waco police, officers were dispatched to The Legend Apartments on Corporation Parkway on Friday by “a witness to the assault.”
“Officers located video doorbell footage of the suspect violently beating the 3-year-old boy,” the police statement said, adding that the child was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, where he was evaluated by medical staff.
The video reportedly showed Thames picking up the child and hitting him at least five times in the torso with a closed fist.
“Are you going to stop playing?” Thames is reportedly heard saying, according to local CBS affiliate KWTX. The child was reportedly crying as Thames pulled him up by his face before walking away with him.
Although the relationship between Thames and the child was not immediately available, police said that “[t]he suspect and victim know each other.”
The child victim has been released from the hospital, Waco police added.
An Army spokesperson confirmed to KWTX that Thames is a sergeant stationed at Fort Hood, which is located around 65 miles southwest of Waco.
“We are aware of the arrest of Sgt. Paul Thames for abuse of a child,” the spokesperson told the station. “The 1st Cavalry Division is in communication with law enforcement. We are disgusted by the video that has been posted. The behavior of Sgt. Thames does not reflect the values of the 1st Cavalry Division or the U.S. Army.”
Jail records show that Thames is being held on a $200,000 surety bond.
