What did Douglas Egan do? Texas man arrested over assault and improper photography charges

On December 24, Saturday, 45-year-old Texas man Douglas Egan was arrested for allegedly illegally photographing women in the ladies bathroom in a Fort Worth mall before threatening a woman with a pepper ball gun as he fled the scene.

The New York Post reported that the alleged incident occurred at 4.30 pm on Christmas Eve at Hulen Mall. Egan, who was reportedly dressed as a woman at the time of the incident, was accused of using his cellphone to take inappropriate pictures of women beneath the bathroom stall.

As per Fox News, when confronted by a woman in the bathroom, Egan drew the pepper ball gun from the bag, terrifying bystanders who believed it was a firearm.

Egan was supposedly changing into men's clothes when officers confronted him outside the mall. He is currently in police custody on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and improper video. No injuries were reported in the incident.

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Officials and concerned citizens respond to the Douglas Egan arrest

In an official statement, Fort Worth Police Corporal, Joshua Johnson, described the specific details of the allegations against Douglas Egan.

Johnson said:

"While (the female witness) was using the restroom, she observed what she believed to be a cell phone coming from underneath the stall."

The statement went on:

"At that point, the suspect pulled out and presented what appeared to be a gun. He pulled it from a backpack which he was carrying and pointed it at that first witness and then continued to flee."

Due to the threat of what was initially perceived as a firearm, Johnson said that Hulen Mall was placed under lockdown to prevent a potential active shooter situation. The potential presence of a firearm was a concern for authorities, as the incident came just a few days after a fatal shooting at the Mall of America in Minnesota.

Johnson went on to thank the bystanders who attempted to stop Douglas Egan.

He said:

"Thank you to the good Samaritans for stepped up, who saw a confrontation they deemed to be inappropriate and just got involved. It takes the community getting involved to protect us."

According to Meauwww, Johnson also mentioned that this wasn't Egan's first arrest. The suspect is known to the police as a serial predator with a history of indecent exposure charges in Dallas, as well as criminal indecency with a child. He was released earlier this year after serving seven years in prison.

Johnson said:

"It's extremely unfortunate that someone would take advantage of an individual just as they're using the restroom for their own personal gains."

Douglas Egan is currently being held at the Tarrant County Corrections Center on a $30,000 bond.