Harris County assistant district attorney arrested over incident at bar on Labor Day

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A Harris County prosecutor tasked with upholding the law is now accused of breaking it.

As bars closed Labor Day morning, members of the Harris County Sheriff's Office said Assistant District Attorney Vladimir Gray got into an argument at The Address bar on Raleigh Street. One of their deputies working security pulled Gray outside but said he was belligerent. He wrote that Gray "refused to walk,'' tensed his arms, and pulled them away. He was charged with interference with public duties.

"There is unquestionably a facet of this which is optics," Peyton Peebles, an attorney not affiliated with the case, said.

The charge is a class B misdemeanor - a lower-level offense. Still, Peebles said, "It could theoretically be up to six months in jail or a $2,000 fine, or there's probation, deferred adjudication, pretrial intervention, lots of different options."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the District Attorney's Office said they were aware of the "situation" and explained that Gray was "under suspension" pending the outcome of an internal investigation. The office recused itself from the criminal case - meaning officials from another county will likely step in.

As for employment, Peebles said if Gray is convicted, his fate will likely be left to District Attorney Kim Ogg's discretion.

"If Kim Ogg decides to let him keep his job, she has every right to do that. She could also discipline him within the office," Peebles said discipline could include reassignment, probation, or continued suspension.

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