A Block House Creek resident says an encounter with Williamson County sheriff’s deputies working a paid neighborhood patrol detail left him feeling unsafe after he was stopped, questioned and detained while walking in his neighborhood despite not being accused of a crime.
The resident said the encounter occurred while he was walking and working in the neighborhood, which he described as part of his normal routine. According to the resident, Williamson County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Little approached him and asked whether he was OK before explaining that dispatch had received complaints involving a person sitting in the street about 30 minutes earlier and another report involving someone allegedly looking into vehicles.
The resident said neither description matched his behavior.
“I walk and work,” the resident said. “I’m just living my life and minding my own business.”
According to the resident, he asked Little what crime he was suspected of committing but did not receive a direct answer. The resident said he was instead told he was being detained.
The resident said the encounter lasted more than five minutes and escalated when additional deputies arrived, including Deputy Bryson Mora, Field Training Officer Pedroza and Deputy Mowser.
Feeling uneasy about the interaction, the resident said he contacted a relative and asked them to come to the scene because he did not feel safe. The relative later arrived to observe the encounter, according to the resident.
The resident said the interaction became more uncomfortable when Mora referenced “10-96,” a law enforcement code commonly understood to refer to a person experiencing a mental health crisis or emotionally disturbed person.
The resident said he responded that he understood the meaning of the code but felt the interaction afterward became increasingly patronizing.
The resident described the exchange as feeling as though deputies were talking down to him or explaining matters in a dismissive way despite his efforts to clarify and confirm what had been said.
“It felt insulting and belittling,” the resident said. “I understood what they were saying. I was just trying to make sure I understood correctly.”
The resident said he was never told he was suspected of a specific crime and questioned whether detaining a person walking in their own neighborhood was justified under the circumstances.
Following the encounter, the resident contacted the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office to complain and said he was provided a call-for-service number, which he said may indicate complaints had been made to dispatch.
Block House Creek neighborhoods have used paid patrol details intended to improve safety and deter crime.
The incident raises broader questions about the balance between responding to resident complaints and protecting the rights of individuals engaged in lawful activity when no apparent criminal conduct is identified.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office had not publicly commented on the resident’s account as of publication.
Image: Deputy Ryan Little (WCSO Social Media Photo)
Williamson Reporter 